Definitions and Roles Attributed to Muslim Identity by Digital Salafi Preachers

Abstract

Since Salafi communities in Türkiye have begun to attract public attention, the necessity of research on Salafi groups has emerged. This study deeply analyzes the sermons given by digital Salafi preachers on YouTube in order to explore their definitions of Muslim identity and how they construct it. The research includes the sermons of six different Salafi preachers, and these sermons give an idea about the basic principles, beliefs and interpretations of Salafi thought in Türkiye. The research adopts a case study approach and categorizes the videos according to their thematic content, presenters and context. Then, content analysis is performed on these sermons. The results show that Salafi preachers construct Muslim identity with new definitions and roles and propose a new typology of Muslims in society. Muslim identity changes through sermons; while some definitions are inclusive, others can be exclusionary and marginalizing. The wide availability of these online sermons enables Salafi preachers to disseminate their views and beliefs to a wider audience, thereby influencing the construction of Muslim religious identity in line with the Salafi understanding. This research contributes to a certain extent to our understanding of the construction of Salafi ideology and its dissemination mechanisms through new media. It is also intended to serve as a resource for further research.

Keywords

• selefi cemaatler
• dijital vaizler
• müslüman kimliği
• i̇çerik analizi
• yeni medya
• salafi communities
• digital preachers
• muslim identity
• content analysis
• new media