The Role of the Church and Mosque in the Political Mobilization of Black African Immigrants in Finland at the Municipal Level

Abstract

Research has generally shown that the church and mosque play some role in immigrant political integration, especially mobilization. In Finland, this is not yet known as no research has yet examined it. This leaves a gap on whether the church and/or the mosque play such role. This paper seeks to fill this gap, using Black African immigrants as a case study through in-depth interviews. The focus is on political mobilization at the municipal level where many immigrants in Finland have full local suffrage. The study does not just examine the role of the church and mosque in mobilization in conventional politics (such as voting, party membership, campaigning), but also in the unconventional (such as protests, strikes, boycotts). Findings, however, reveal that both religious institutions play a relatively small role in these two regards.