Negotiating Belonging: Islamic Cemeteries as Sites of Cultural Assertion and Placemaking in the United States

Abstract: This article examines the role of the Islamic cemetery, Muslim burial practices, and religious land-use disputes within the context of rising Islamophobia and anti-immigrant ethnonationalist movements in the U.S. It focuses on Islamic cemeteries as symbolic spaces where Muslim communities assert their cultural and religious presence in American cities. The disputes surrounding access to these cemeteries raise broader questions about the role of religion, cultural identity, and the legitimacy of Islam in the public sphere. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the southeastern region of the United States, this article explores how the Islamic cemetery acts as a powerful tool for placemaking and identity formations, helping Muslim Americans carve out a sense of belonging amid ongoing marginalization. The rituals and cultural traditions associated with burial practices in these cemeteries offer material and cultural integration and participation in American civic life. By analyzing the role of the Islamic cemetery in negotiating collective identities and fostering cross-cultural understanding, this article highlights the tensions over land-use and the need for inclusive policies. The ongoing contestations over these spaces provide insight into the evolving dynamics of American pluralism and the complex relationship between Muslim Americans’ sacred sites and broader societal integration. Islamic cemeteries are crucial sites for negotiating political, cultural, and national membership in an increasingly diverse America.