A Not-so-Islamic Utopia

Abstract

Despite the existence of a variegated literary tradition and the almost complete absence of field research on the subject, the notion of utopia in the Muslim world is generally associated with an ‘Islamic utopia’ that aims to reinstate the societal model of early Muslims. Based on ethnographic research among young Italian-Bangladeshis, this article suggests that ‘retro-utopia’ and religious repertoires more generally do not represent the only resources used by young people to imagine social change. The interlocutors put forth a variety of images of an ideal society that is ultimately structured according to a realism-messianism polarity. The youth use these images in an endeavor to make sense of their different positionalities and biographical trajectories, and the power relations experienced by themselves and the religious groups with which they are affiliated.