Senegalese Muslims in Amsterdam Trust and Mistrust in the Negotiation of Place

This contribution explores how trust and mistrust co-shape processes of place-making among African Muslims in the diaspora. It specifically looks at how Senegalese Muslims in Amsterdam are engaged in trust-making towards diverse other diasporic groups, as well as towards local authorities and further local gatekeepers in the urban landscape of Amsterdam. Islam provides moral support and guidance as well as a basis of truth that helps connections to other Muslim groups; nevertheless, active trust-making towards various audiences is required, while subtle power dynamics and personal and collective experiences, as well as globalized discourses about the Other, can nourish distrust instead of trust. Cultural understandings of how to signal trustworthiness and, inversely, how to establish that someone is to be trusted, importantly add to the dynamic. Diasporic place-making in Amsterdam is a challenging endeavour, necessitating constant cultural analysis and skilful social navigation.