“Surely we belong to God and to Him shall we return”. Attitudes, beliefs and practices regarding death and dying among middle-aged and elderly Moroccan Muslim women in Antwerp (Belgium)

This interdisciplinary research project combines various scientific religious and ethical perspectives and studies the religious and ethical attitudes, beliefs and practices regarding death and dying among Muslim women of Moroccan descent in Antwerp, Belgium. By doing so, this study will reveal whether in our contemporary postmodern, multicultural and globalised society there is a need for specific measures in elderly care and with regard to burial regulations for Muslims.This PhD project focuses on the following specific aspects:- Muslim attitudes and practices regarding care for the elderly (1);- Muslim attitudes and beliefs regarding health, illness and medicine (2);- Muslim attitudes toward treatment decisions at the end of life (Euthanasia, assisted suicide andwithholding and withdrawing curative and life-sustaining treatment) (3);-Muslim religious views on dying, death and the afterlife (4);- Muslimattitudes, beliefs and practices regarding mourning and remembrance (5);- Muslim practices (mainly rituals) regarding burial (including choice of cemetery, repatriation) (6).We will draw on the one hand present a review based on the available theoretical and empirical literature on this topic. On the other hand we will conduct our own extensive empirical research.This project aims to provide us a deeper insight into thereal beliefs of Moroccan Muslim women regarding death and dying. This empirical part will be based on in-depth interviews with specialists (n =15) and middle-aged and elderly Muslim women of Moroccan descent (n=30). Beside this, we will also adopt the method of participant observation.This way, our project will stimulate academic reflection on the importance of minority perspectives, in this case Muslims, in elderly care andburial practices and regulations. This will provide the data necessary for a wellfounded policy in this field, which is essential to guarantee people from minority groups respectful end-of-life care.

Keywords:Islam, Death and Dying, End-of-Life, Elderly Care

Disciplines:Theology and religious studies, Other philosophy, ethics and religious studies not elsewhere classified, Theory and methodology of philosophy, Philosophy, Ethics

Project type:PhD project