ABSTRACT
This chapter examines a mosque programme for Somali Muslim families in Helsinki, Finland. The programme conducts multiple activities for families such as: family dispute resolution, seminars, training workshops, and annual conferences. Using the concept of wellbeing, I analyse how the mosque understands and pursues its two stated goals: the ‘good of Muslim families’, and their ‘positive integration’ into Finnish society. I shed light on both the local and transnational contexts shaping the work of the programme. Locally, the programme is guided by the needs and challenges of Somali Muslim families, and it is also enabled by Finnish state policies on governance of religious communities. Transnationally, the mosque programme is part of a loose network of religious institutions and scholars across Europe, educating Muslim families on how to lead a pious, harmonious, and modern family life that facilitates the integration of Muslims into their respective societies ‒ an integration grounded in Islamic norms. I analyse, in particular, the mosque programme’s new discourse on companionate marriage and engaged parenting and reflect on its gender implications. The chapter draws on ethnographic research conducted over four years (2013‒2017).
