"Var du svensk innan du blev muslim?" Konvertiter till islam om reaktioner, farhågor och förhandlingar i ett rasifierat landskap

Sammanfattning: The aim of this thesis is to study how Muslim converts with a Swedish background experience and negotiate their subject positions as new Muslims in Sweden, mainly in relation to the reactions on their conversion from family, friends and others. Apart from this main question, I also treat questions such as: How can the reactions from others be understood in relation to certain ideas about “Swedishess”, modernity and sexuality? What experiences of “passing” as non- Muslims/”Swedes” do the participants have and how can this be understood in relation to racialized visual signs? To what extent can you talk about a form of racialization of the “white” converts? I have conducted semi structured interviews with five female converts and one male, aged approximately between 20 and 40. As analytic framework, I have used discourse theory, postcolonial theory, critical race theory and psychoanalysis, which have led the focus of my discourse analysis to the construction of and movement between different identity categories, and the power relations implied in this. Some of my main conclusions are that the visual field, including visual signs of ”Swedishness” and ”Muslimness”, play an important role when it comes to the participants possibilities to negotiate their positions and that sexuality and gender is used as symbolic resources to articulate a specific ”modern” Swedish national community. I also conclude that you can speak about a form of racialization of the converts, especially experienced by the women wearing hijab, but that they at the same time can use their ”whiteness” strategically, for example as expressed in names, appearance or family history, to gain more power and recognition as individuals.