Diasporic political communication among Arabs in Europe: from online campaigning to friendship networks

This chapter is based on a collective research project run by four scholars at Copenhagen University. The focus of the work is on the political communication of Arab diasporic communities in Europe originating from Syria, Bahrain, Egypt, and Tunisia. The aim of this chapter is to theorize the aspects of political communication among the Arab diaspora. The empirical data were collected through interviews and observations in several European countries: the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Turkey. The analysis has shown that political communication in the diaspora revolves around the interaction of the diaspora members on three levels: the country of origin, the country of residence, and international associations. Based on these three levels of interaction, this chapter has outlined five key aspects of political communication practiced by Arab diasporic communities in Europe: involvement in political parties, association establishment, online campaigning, friendship networks, and international activism.