Multi-Religious Encounters in Urban Settings

Funded by the European Research Council, this comparative ethnographic project asks, how do people of different faiths coexist in cities?

A rise in religiously motivated clashes worldwide poses questions related to the coexistence of people of different religions in non-secular urban contexts. This EU-funded project explores multireligious encounters in areas where a state religion or a dominant one exists, aiming to address the question of coexistence of different faiths in cities. The project focuses on Karachi in south Asia, Nairobi in east Africa and Palermo in southern Europe. All these cities were historical encounter sites for major religions but today differ in religious pluralism. The project applies comparative ethnographic research to examine the forms of religious cohabitation that emerged in aspiring urban environments and works to develop a cross-regional framework about religious pluralism.

The project represents a partnership between University College London, the University of Birmingham and the University of Edinburgh, with the Alwaleed Centre's Lecturer on Muslims in Europe, Dr Giulia Liberatore (pictured), undertaking ethnographic research in Palermo, Sicily.

For further information about the project visit the ERC website HERE.