Identity and recognition. Islam and national identity in Madrid's Afghan community

Our personal identity is largely dependent on external recognition. This identity can be threatened when that external recognition is not accorded with the intensity required or in situations where stigmatisation is involved. That is when a series of socio-cognitive processes begin to take place in order to strengthen identity. These phenomena are peculiar when they develop within marginalised minorities such as migrants in many countries. The specific case of the Afghan community living in the Madrid region (Spain) is analysed in this article. This community is particularly relevant due to the high risk of stigmatisation to which it is subjected but also in view of its members' considerable skills to cope with it.