Theorising Muslim Minority Identity and Religious Practice Under Structural Marginalisation in South East Nigeria

This dissertation theorises the formation and negotiation of Muslim minority religious identity and practice under conditions of structural marginalisation in South East Nigeria, encompassing the Igbo-Muslim community in Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia, and Ebonyi states. This population, comprising predominantly indigenous Igbo converts and second-generation northern migrants, represents a sociologically significant but academically neglected Muslim minority whose religious life is conducted under acute conditions of social minority pressure. The study employs a constructivist grounded theory methodology involving longitudinal ethnographic fieldwork over 18 months, participant observation in ten mosques and Islamic community centres across the South East, and in-depth interviews with 50 Muslim community members and 15 Islamic scholars. Data are analysed using grounded theory procedures, phenomenological analysis, and postcolonial minority identity theory. The original theoretical contribution is the Contested Religious Identity Negotiation Model (CRINM), which maps five adaptive identity strategies employed by South East Muslims in navigating minority religious practice under social pressure. The dissertation also makes an empirical contribution through the first systematic documentation of Igbo-Muslim cultural practice, religious institutional development, and community resilience strategies. Findings reveal sophisticated individual and collective mechanisms for maintaining Islamic practice and identity within predominantly non-Muslim social environments. Recommendations include national policy recognition of Muslim minority cultural rights and Islamic studies provision for minority communities. Keywords: Muslim minority identity, South East Nigeria, Igbo Muslims, religious marginalisation, minority Islamic practice.