Paper short abstract:

This paper focuses on how Islamic education in small mosques on Lisbon’s outskirts is a strategy for acquiring religious capital for upward social mobility and socioeconomic inclusion.

Paper long abstract:

The anthropological literature on Muslims in Europe often dismisses the role of Islamic knowledge in the production of social differentiation and in/exclusion among Muslims. In Portugal, where a diverse Muslim community exists, Guinea-Bissau-origin Muslims understand Islamic knowledge as essential for upward social mobility. This paper focuses on how Islamic education in small mosques located on Lisbon’s outskirts is a strategy for acquiring social and religious capital that has been historically in the hands of other Muslim groups. Acquiring such knowledge allows Guinea-Bissau-origin Muslims, both women and men, to seek recognition within a wider Muslim community and, simultaneously, show they value Islamic education as essential in pursuing better life conditions. This article explores religious education as social capital and its role in the production of citizenship and social inclusion.