Page - 113 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 07/02

Making Space, Claiming Place | 113www.jrfm.eu 2021, 7/2, 107–131 resent a new phase and a (definite) break with former dynamics in the Dutch political landscape when it comes to the political participation of Muslims, es- pecially those with a migration background. One reason is timing, as the par- ties fit well in a recent broader trend of marginalized groups in Dutch society pushing back against the long-held dominant narrative on Dutch identity.28 Another reason lies in their relation and interaction with (social) media. The significance of new media is also obvious in a broader sense: in the digital age, for the majority of Dutch Muslims – and more generally for Muslim communi- ties throughout Europe – the internet is part of their daily lives, as it is for their non-Muslim peers. With regard to politics, new media play an important role in (re-)shaping civic and political engagement by young European citizens.29 As the candidates and constituencies of both DENK and NIDA consist mainly of young (second- and third-generation) Muslims, it makes sense to assume that new media also plays an important role here.30 For example, one of the interlocutors I spoke with in autumn 2020 was Yasin Makineli.31 He became politically active with DENK after watching a video he had seen on Facebook which featured DENK member Tunahan Kuzu in a heated de- bate with Geert Wilders.32 As social media effectively politicized Makineli, a young Dutch Muslim with a Turkish background, this example demon- strates, I believe, that to fully comprehend how young Muslims resist mar- ginalization and exclusion in Dutch politics, we need to take into account the role played by digital media in their everyday lives. 28 According to Rogier van Reekum, “Dutchness” post-9/11 has become (increasingly) politi- cized and is characterized by (racist) imaginations of those already included – the “na- tives” – and those considered citizens-to-be – the outsiders who should aspire to occupy the high ground of the majority. Van Reekum notes that in recent years, a rearticulation of anti-racist critique has been taking place in which this understanding of Dutchness is criticized. Rather than expecting that “newcomers” (i. e., immigrants, refugees, non-white citizens) should come to belong, members of minority groups argue that the Dutch should re-examine their traditions and understandings, for example in light of the presence of racism in society; see Van Reekum 2016, 40–41. 29 Loader 2007. 30 Otjes/Krouwel 2019; Valenta 2015. 31 Yasin Makineli was the president of the DENK youth movement Opposition (Oppositie) and the chairman of the DENK party in the municipal council of Veenendaal (city in the province of Utrecht) at the time. At only 19 years old, Makineli became the youngest chair- man of any local political fraction in Veenendaal. 32 I interviewed Yasin Makineli virtually on 2 October 2020 in a WhatsApp video call; an in-person meeting was not possible because of the coronavirus outbreak and consequent measures applied in the Netherlands.