Panel: ENTANGLED ENCOUNTERS: MATERIAL AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATIONS OF RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES IN EUROPE



647.1 - ENTANGLEMENTS OF INTIMACY AND VISIBILITY: MUSLIM DATING APP ADS IN BERLIN'S PUBLIC SPHERE

AUTHORS:
Hasan F. (Hebrew University ~ Jerusalem ~ Israel)
Text:
This paper examines how advertisements of Muslim-specific dating apps in Berlin's public transportation system reshape religious intimacy, public visibility, and forms of belonging in contemporary European urban life. Drawing on visual documentation of campaigns displayed across the Berlin S‑Bahn, discussions with Muslim interlocutors, and analyses of online debates surrounding these advertisements, the study investigates how Islamic-branded dating apps interact with the material and sensorial dimensions of public space to shape conversations about Islamic norms and Muslim everyday life. Featuring multilingual slogans such as "Verliebt. Verlobt. Nikah" and playful reframings of stereotypes associated with Islamic extremism, these ads challenge dominant representations of Muslim identity while navigating Berlin's secular aesthetics and normative expectations. The analysis considers how these visual interventions influence understandings of Muslim presence in the city, particularly in relation to gendered expectations, generational shifts, and the negotiation of public visibility. While the ads articulate new possibilities for forming relationships, they also raise questions about the adaptation, contestation, and commodification of religious norms within digital platforms. By examining how both Muslim audiences and non-Muslim Berlin residents interpret these messages, the paper situates the advertisements within broader debates on migration, secularism, and the transformation of intimate life in Europe. It argues that these campaigns constitute multilayered entanglements - between migrant religious communities and secular publics, between generational expectations and digital agency, and between established religious norms and emerging modes of romantic self-expression. In tracing these dynamics, the paper demonstrates how Muslim dating app advertisements actively participate in reshaping the sensorial and symbolic landscape of European cities.