My academic interest in studying Islamophobia and identity strategies emerged out of both my personal experience of moving from a predominantly Turkish-Muslim country to an ethnically, culturally, and religiously diverse London borough and my observations and determinations regarding young Turks in Britain during my Master in 2016 at the University of Bristol. In different stages of my life in Britain I either lived, worked, or socialized with young Turks and young Muslims from other ethnic backgrounds, having some opportunities to observe various identity practices in the British context. These early encounters gave me initial thoughts about the young Turks’ identity practices against the outsiders’ perceptions. I will tell, however, two main stories that channelled my academic interest in studying Islamophobia and identity.
The first story is based on my unscheduled conversation with young Muslim students from the University of Bristol at a mosque in Bristol in June 2016, during the fasting days of Ramadan for Muslims. These students were also members of one of the university’s student groups, the University of Bristol Islamic Society (BRISOC). After breaking our fast, we had a conversation regarding our social lives both in British society and at the university. One of the most remarkable points that emerged in our conversation, which lasted about an hour and a half, was that Islamophobia was a serious issue for them.