Diaspora, Islam, Australia : reflections on Australian Arab case studies

Theoretical writings on diaspora and on Arab diasporas in particular have stressed the phenomenon of emerging transnational identities, particularly international Islam. This article draws on individual in-depth interviews with two Muslim Arabs in Australia to explore issues of identity and politics and to better understand aspects of the Arabic diaspora. Our first case study shows the persistence of a clear Arab nationalism and diasporic orientation, devoid of religious emphasis, in a Palestinian case. Our second case study shows a decided turning to aspects of Islam, but its motivations are fundamentally embedded in combating social exclusion and marginalisation in specific Australian contexts, with little concern for transnational religious or diasporic identification.