Islam e migrazioni. Titolo intervento. Musulmani e Sport: aspetti generali tra inclusione e marginalizzazione

“Sport and Muslims: a factor of inclusion or exclusion?” In a period in which there is a strong growth of populist parties and identity movements asking for protection of Christian and Western values, an apparently neutral theme such as sport is also affected by these problems. As regards the European context, for example, physical education and sporting activity is part of the compulsory school curriculum and sport is considered an element that can favor the integration of immigrants: however this approach does not take into account the vision of "Others”, and in the case-study here considered of the Islamic vision, to which refer many Muslims in Europe (25 million people, and about ¼ less than 18 years). The reference literature and various research highlights the low participation in sport of teenagers and young Muslims, and in particular girls, due to an attitude in which religious, family and cultural elements are mixed. These Muslims often find themselves experiencing a strong tension between the adherence to religious vision, which according to Islamic jurists must provide respect for the dress-code and separate spaces between genders, and school facilities and sports-centres that do not provide for these possibility. Where there are attempts to promote the participation of Muslim girls trying to meet their needs, for example creating spaces separate from men in municipal swimming pools (such as in Copenhagen) or major clothing companies launch products designed to respect religious indications (e.g. burkini) immediately the populist movements exploit the issue to call for respect for Western values and the public debate turns the spotlight on the alleged lack of Muslim integration. Around these issues, Sport therefore becomes a metaphor and battleground between a vision of closure and openness to the "Others", in which western Societies must choose to what extent they are willing to question their values to encourage the inclusion of all.