Contested Faith: Resistance to New Mosques in Chicago Suburbs and Berlin

Through the study of resistance to eight new mosques in Berlin and the suburbs of Chicago, this dissertation sheds light on what happens when a minority religious group tries to integrate into a neighborhood. The dissertation asks why the establishment of mosques in some urban and suburban areas has been welcomed, or at least not resisted, while in others, the residents and local politicians organized to fight the construction of a mosque. Public opinion literature suggests that the public is biased against minorities and influenced by officials’ discourse and politicization of the mosque establishment. NIMBY scholars argue that people resist any new facilities in their neighborhood, and local decision-making literature shows that local context, social movement organizations, and political integration of the Muslim communities influence local officials’ decision-making. The existing literature and inductive reasoning led to the theory of social opposition to othered structures. Data from document analysis, participatory observations, and interviews with Muslim communities, local officials, and residents shows that when Muslim communities have political skills, do not publicize their mosque plans too early in the process, and face sympathetic local government resistance is minimal. However, any deviation from these factors opens a window for public opposition, further fueling government resistance. When a window for resistance opens, resistance can be prevented only in diverse, liberal, and educated localities. The study then shows that the theories found in the existing literature are hierarchical. Not all can explain resistance to new mosques, and some come into play only when a window for resistance opens. The study also shows that contrary to the expectation, early contact with the mosque’s neighbors kindles resistance instead of mitigating it. The results then have important policy implications. Muslim communities must familiarize themselves with the zoning ordinance, application approval process, and the local officials. Good communication and cooperation with the local government also help to prevent conflict. Local officials also need to be aware that people may resist due to bias and consider the motivations for resistance when deciding on zoning relief applications from minority groups to prevent discrimination.