Islam and the West : Islamic diaspora in Europe

Abstract

A number of international events are putting the relations between Europe and its Muslim communities into perspective. Events like the Rushdie affair, the September 11 terror attacks, the Madrid bombings, the murder of Dutch film maker Theo Van Gogh, the London bombings, the November 2005 riots in France and the cartoon controversy have lead to deterioration in the climate towards Muslims in European countries and sparkled the fear that Europe is breathing its own indigenous jihadist. The issue of Islam and its challenge to the West has become a matter of enduring preoccupation in Europe fuelled by the notion that the presence of Islam in Europe, in the form of its Muslim citizens and migrants, is a challenge for Europe and European norms and values. This thesis will analyze the integration of Muslim communities within European societies and will also look into how European states are adapting to Multiculturalism. In these societies there are forces of inclusion and exclusion at play, problems which hinder integration and at the same time there are also positive forces of inclusion. Integration is a two-way process; European governments have to fight racism and promote integration while Muslim communities have to do their outmost to get integrated into European society. It will be argued that Islamic communities in Europe are being shaped by the host countries' culture both at a religious and social level while European countries are adapting to a more multicultural society where they have to strengthen cohesion between the diverse communities which make part of European society, while at the same time fighting marginalization and discrimination.