Hybrid Identities in Germany. Rituals of Identity- and Boundarymaking of Muslim Migrants in the German and German/European outside context.

The research project seeks to explore why Muslim immigrants often face difficulties to identify themselves with their homecountry Germany. The potential of "hybrid identities" in this process is examined in-depth. Which are the different patterns of identity that allow for a simultaneity of "being German" and "being Muslim"? In an outside perspective the relations between Europe and the Muslim world are taken into account in order to establish their influence on the construction of Muslim/European identities. Our main hypothesis is that hybrid identities are necessary to bridge the currently existing gap of alienation between the majority and minority society. Therefore persons that feel at home in different cultural contexts are a particularly signifcant research topic. Qualitative methods of research are applied in order to find out how persons with a Muslim migration background, as carriers of hybrid identity patterns, can contribute to our understanding of the changeability of national and cultural identities. Moreover we want to know how their mediation potential can be used to establish intercultural competencies in everyday life and to mitigate identity as a category of conflict.