The Digital ARMY-Ummah: Faith and Community among Muslim BTS Fans

As Muslims in various parts of the world continue to face discrimination and violence, Mariam Elba argues that BTS fandom can serve as a safe haven in the midst of Islamophobic policies and worldviews. Her chapter, “The Digital ARMY-Ummah: Faith and Community among Muslim BTS Fans,” shows how a common interest in BTS drove the formation of an online Muslim ARMY community that provides support for each other while dismantling stereotypes about Muslims. She demonstrates how Muslim fans use BTS-centered content as vehicles for Islamic faith practices such as zakat (almsgiving) and siyam (fasting) and for building a global Muslim fan ummah (community). By using fandom to “speak themselves,” Muslim fans are not only building community, but also countering Islamophobic narratives across the globe.