Islam and the Media by Anna Piela

Islam and the Media by Anna Piela

This collection aims to illustrate the variety of different Islamic mediated expressions, both in Muslim-majority and Muslim-minority contexts. The study of the myriad of ways in which Islam is mediated in today’s world is important, because the media (both traditional, i.e print and broadcast, and ‘new’/social/online) are a battleground for the meaning and nature of Islam. Different discourses about Islam are vying for public attention, because to be in the spotlight means to be influential. From everyday accounts of religious experience, through reformist, conservative, and reactive narratives, it is possible to observe many claims to religious authority as well as different Islamic religious identities.

With a full index, together with a comprehensive introduction, newly written by the editor, which places the collected material in its historical and intellectual context, Islam and the Media is a crucial work of reference. It is destined to be valued by scholars, students, and researchers as a vital resource.

Anna Piela has a PhD in Women's Studies from the University of York. Her research focuses on interpretations of Islamic texts produced by Muslim women in online spaces, and she has published articles in the Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs and CyberOrient.