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Contribution short abstract

I reveal some of the darker dynamics of the "turn to religion" era during the post-9/11 context. I argue that Orientalism remains unfinished in development. Using the concept of "reorientalism" and research on UK-Muslim faith actor-oriented approaches, I argue that Orientalism adapts and persists.

Contribution long abstract

In this presentation, I draw on insights and reflections from my PhD thesis, which answered Emma Tomalin's (2020) call for faith actor-oriented approaches to the "turn to religion". Based on a case study of Islamic Relief (a UK-Muslim faith-based non-governmental humanitarian organisation), using semi-structured interviews with a cross-gender sample of seven policy actors and an analysis of the Gender Justice Policy. The case reveals some of the darker dynamics of the "turn to religion" era, amidst the complex landscape of the post-9/11 period, particularly on UK-Muslim faith actor-oriented approaches to gender justice policy development. The case reveals how the legacy of colonialism is replayed and reproduced in contemporary settings. First, I argue that Orientalism (Said 1978) not only persists and remains unfinished in international development but has also been adapted, whereby Muslim faith actors become the “New Orientalists” in development, who simultaneously resisted and reproduced Orientalist narratives of "othering" during this period. I capture this phenomenon through the concept of “re-orientalism” (Lau 2009). Next, I argue that Gender Mainstreaming, in this case, acted as a disciplinary tool to: a) ensure compliance and collaboration with broader governance power dynamics, and b) acts as a mechanism to control, through Western dominant norms on gender equality, thereby incorporating UK-Muslim FBOs into the "civilising mission". Finally, I offer personal reflections on undertaking Muslim-on-Muslim research within the context of the "turn to religion" era, an under-researched topic.