According to Edward Taylor (1871) in his well known work “Primitive culture” religion is the belief in spiritual beings. Going in the same direction reference [8] describes religion as a set of shared beliefs and actions directed to supernatural forces (p. 2).

From the perspective of anthropology reference [9] defines religion as a system of symbols which act to establish powerful and permanent minds and motivations states in humans (p. 90).

From the point of view of sociology, religion is seen as the belief in agents or super natural forces ( [10] , p. 45). This orientation in the definition of religion is strongly influenced by the Judeo-Christian traditions which give much importance to the concept of belief. This idea is also shared by Islam [11] .

Marketing research was also interested in the phenomenon of religion. Thus, reference [12] defines religion as belief in god accompanied by the commitment to follow the principles believed dictated by him (p. 110). reference [13] speak about a belief system that focuses on the super natural, the spiritual, to God and the behavior of the human being as a creature of God on earth and recommended behavior (p. 65).

The diversity of definitions that have been proposed to define the concept of religion indicates that there is no consensus on a general sense to this word [14] . However, faced with all these definitions, we can see that religion can be described as a set of recommended attitudes and behaviors that aim to approach the deity worshiped. Reference [15] states that religion, impacts the behavior of the individual in distinct ways. It has an indirect influence through the membership groups. Religion also introduces a social system that instills in the individual specific beliefs and pushes specific behaviors.

Religiousness or religiosity is often used to indicate “an individual’s conviction, devotion, and veneration towards a divinity” [16] (p. 1654).

More over spirituality a very close concept has been used to defined as “One’s transcendent relationship to some form of higher power” [17] (p. 415). Generally, in its most comprehensive use, religiosity can encapsulate all dimensions of religion, yet the concept can also be used in a narrow sense to denote an extreme view and over dedication to religious rituals and traditions.

Religion, religious beliefs and religiousness are regressing whether you are in the post-modern Western society or in a more traditional society. Thus, in modern or emergent countries, the trend of secularization of the gods, in favor of the human experience, is dominant [11] .

According to The American Heritage dictionary (2000) [18] secularism is the idea that religious rites values and observance should be excluded from politics, civil affairs or public education.

For Max Weber as the precursor of the theory of secularization [19] , secularization leads to loss of interest in religion. Moreover, the secularization thesis argues the abandonment of religion by the decline of religious practices and its significant diminishing for the occidental social system [20] . Also secularization leads to the change of religious discourse that was forced to change to crop requirements of consumer movements to avoid being marginalized [3] . In addition to the emergence secularization movements, the concept of consumer culture increased the perception of religion as a product similar to other goods or services provided by the market [2] [3] .

Secularization in occidental cultures reflects a shift away from religion and consecration of materialism [19] . Thus, the movement of secularization notably in the Christian context tends to desecrate the sacred represented by religion and to consider sacred the secular [3] . Moreover Secularization as a social movement has generated a political movement that advocates secularism by the separation of politics from religion [21] .

The trend of secularization in Europe and France specifically rises in the context of the conflict with the church whose representatives committed many injustices in the name of the Lord [22] . All these facts leads to the fragmentation of religious life and abandonment of religious values and norms since the 1960s wish weakened the religion’s social importance and role in daily life individuals [23] .

Moreover, the process of modernization has resulted in the emergence of the consumer culture, which by its diffusion has participated in the movement of desecration of sacred religious [24] . This culture of consumption took an important extent it has developed its own sacred symbols, often exploiting religious beliefs [24] [25] .

In the same context references [24] [25] speak about the resulted sacredness of consumer products from the technological development and reflecting a style of modern western life. They link it to the desecration or the secularization of religion, tradition and specific practices and its replacement by new sacred symbols. This would lead to the fact that consumer culture unlike other forms of culture, replaces the achievement of religious goals by seeking satisfaction of needs through consumer goods.

This trend has been recently checked in America, the birthplace of the consumer culture. In fact, the results of the study on the “U.S. Religious Landscape (2008)” [8] of “Pew Centre Research” stated that the most influential American churches are in the process of losing their followers. The same trend is true in Australia and in other Catholic countries; it is checked in particular among young people. Indeed, young people aged 15 to 29 years represent only 14% of true churches [26] .

The proliferation of individualism, protecting individual freedom and autonomy in postmodern society is fundamentally against social and religious institutions rules [23] [27] . In fact, religious beliefs, notably in monotheistic religions, prone collectivism and interest for other people well-being in the same society [28] . Actually the tendency is the rejection of traditional religious values in favor of the individualistic secularized ones, such as self fulfillment instead of collectivism and religiosity [29] - [31] .

The consumer’s culture making sacred consumption has also spread in Muslim countries through the acculturation process that takes place in a direct and indirect contact in the context of globalization, this trend was strengthened by a favorable colonial heritage [7] . Indeed, after the period of colonization and following different trends of modernization several Muslim countries including Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt and Turkey are experiencing a strong trend towards secularization and disengagement toward Islam's rules and values [7] [20] . This trend is observed especially among the Arab elite and the North African elite in particular [32] . Secularism also known in France as “Laïcité” whish goal is defending political and social relations from their perceived Islamic hegemony was used by the colonizers to suppress Tunisian independence movements [22] . Indeed during the post-colonial period experienced by the Arab countries, there have been two major roles played as well by the westernized elite and Islamic religion [33] :

-The first actor which is the westernized elite, focused on the economic and social development by drawing on experience from other Western secularism.

-The second actor is Islam playing a fundamental role in the political and cultural resistance to the European acculturation. Hence the suspicion those Western governments can develop against Islamist movements.

In addition to the trends of secularization and the dissemination of the culture of consumption and secular political trends to diminish the commitment to Islam, the religion faces another major problem which is the rise of fundamentalism and neo-fundamentalism [33] . This fact was one of the most important roots of Islamophobia.

Etymologically, the word Islamophobia is the combination of the word Islam and the suffix “Phobia”. The suffix Phobia derivate from the Latin word Phobos that means fear (Oxford English Dictionary) [34] . In social psychology it refers to an unreasonable fear of an object, a situation or a subject perceived as a danger that generates an anxiety and avoidance [35] .

Looking in the “Oxford English Dictionary” [34] , Islamophobia means “Intense dislike or fear of Islam, esp. as a political force; hostility or prejudice towards Muslims”. This word is attested to in English as early as 1923.

Islamophobia is often confused with Anti-Arabism that is consistent with hostility and discrimination toward Arabs notably in European and North American countries. The confusion is from the fact that the majority of Arabs in Arab countries are Muslims [36] .

Reference [37] speaks about Islamophobia as a fear of Muslims and Islam; a rejection of the Muslim religion; or a form of different racism.

Moreover, some Islamophobia trends exhibit bipolar worldview stating that modernity is pure product of the secular West, while archaic and fanaticism comes from Islam [36] [38] .

Although marketing research is often interested in religion, considering it as an independent variable and trying to understand its effect on consumer behavior [3] , some research has focused on the marketing of religion [2] [3] . In this case, marketing science and techniques are used to promote certain religious doctrines, concepts, behaviors and ancillary specific products [39] .

Indeed, the use of marketing’s means and techniques such as Marketing-Mix development, in the service of religion is not new. When they first appear, printed media and advertising were adopted to sell Bibles [3] . Much more recently, with the emergence of postmodern context and the secularization of religion the use of marketing techniques become necessary. According to the theory of secularization, most companies engage in industrialization and the creation of wealth, the greater their interest to religion decreases [3] .

Thus, we note that Islam, more than Christianity, faces two major obstacles, secularization which considers somewhere that religion is obsolete and fundamentalism that distorts Islam to make it rigid and threatening.

If to face the disinterestedness to faith, churches have adopted the principles of marketing, such as segmentation, targeting and tailoring of speech, we believe that Islam can just do so by adapting marketing techniques to improve its image and to develop the level of religiosity among Muslims.

Christianity is based on two fundamental tenets: the Incarnation and the Trinity [43] . The incarnation means the oneness of god and Jesus in the same person [44] . Christianity is also one of the three monotheistic religions, where Trinity the main characteristic, which means that one God is revealed in three distinct forms. Christianity has no requirements, Jesus gave directives and general guidelines but they do not specify in rituals [45] .

Moreover, adopting the new marketing spirit, evangelism has emerged as a religious movement that has adopted a new strategy by relaxing their moral discourses and reducing practices. In fact, social marketing as the principle source of religious marketing, is defined as “the use of the principles and marketing techniques to influence a target to accept, reject, modify or voluntarily abandon a behavior for the benefit of individuals, groups or society as a whole” [5] (p. 5). Also, the role of social marketing can extend to change knowledge and beliefs [1] [5] .

In this context, reference [46] , stated that this discipline can play an important role for religious institutions to promote for example Christianity and increase the number of faithful churches.

Thus, marketers develop marketing strategies and mix concentrated on spiritual beliefs and behavior changes [5] [47] [48] by:

• Developing the interest to the needs and believes of the targeted people wish is one of the fundamental principles of classical marketing.

• Just like in the classic marketing religious marketing must proceed to studying the principle expectations and problems of the targeted population,

• The segmentation of the market and the choice of the targeted segment by comparing the potential of the latter to the objectives of the organization.

• Finally the development of religious mix.

So, in the context of faith marketing, marketing techniques are used to influence individuals to change their behavior toward religion by being respectful to religious guidance, rules [49] .

To this end, there are behaviors that are highlighted and promoted [2] [40] :

• Adherence to organized religious groups.

• The maintenance or increase loyalty to the religion.

• Increase the level of religiosity.

• Confidence in religious belief.

• Contribute financially to the religious organization.

To be more effective, churches developed their proper vision of Marketing Mix.

After seeing the objectives of marketing in relation to Christianity, what should be the objectives of the application of marketing for Islam?

Islam is one of the three monotheistic religions; it is practiced by over a billion and a half people (according to the Pew Research Center in 2009: 1.57 billion people). Islam means entire sub mission and voluntary allegiance to Allah the only one god and creator.

Islamic law called “Sharia” contains requirements that are in many cases similar to that of the Judeo- Christian law [45] . Islam is interested on the individual behavior and attitudes through the establishment of a line of conduct specified by the Koran and the Hadith which are the main sources of legislation.

Thus, there are forbidden (Haram), legal (Halal), the tolerated (Makrooh) and recommended (Mandoub) behaviors and attitudes. Islam has contributed to the formation of a specific culture encompassing specific standards and values that are shared by the majority of companies and it is the dominant religion [57] .

Moreover, Islam has also undergoes the first effect of the colonial force and the dissemination of the culture of consumption which increased the tendency towards materialism and away from religion. Unfortunately, Islam is often seen as a religion that hinders freedoms and represses the energies [50] .

Islam is also perceived as a religion that is scary [50] , this fear is old it is even part of the European identity [4] , this fear also affects the westernized elite in the Arab countries. This tendency is accentuated after the various attacks in recent decades and the emergence of some threatening fanatical groups.

From this perspective we can say that the main challenges of marketing Islam strategies would be the rise of the level of religious commitment for Muslims, the change of the actual image that frightens not only Western but also Muslim societies and the development of a Marketing Mix strategy for Islam.