Case Studies in Global Issues

1. Compare and contrast the following discussed patterns of Muslim-European interaction: assimilation, communitarianism, or newer modes or integration.
2. What are the limitations of modern multiculturalism?

Assimilationists are individuals who believe all foreigners and immigrants should accept and respect the culture and identity that has been developed in their country.  This viewpoint correlates with the idea the practice of Islam should also be assimilated to the norms of European culture.

According to Shireen Hunter’s Islam, Europe’s Second Religion, “The assimilationists tend to believe that Muslims should accept the totality of the cultural and political ethos of their country of residence or citizenship.  They can of course, remain Muslim, but their religion must be a private matter and publicly invisible,”(273).  Assimilationist tendencies are also present among Muslims, especially those who arrived in the 1980’s and 90’s who want to become French, British, or German to the extent that society will permit.

Communitarians on the other hand prefer to form cohesive communities which can enter into systematic dialogue with the state and society at large.  Some Muslims prefer to live in complete isolation according to Islamic rules, but the policies of European countries have displayed elements of assimilationist and communitarian values.

While these processes slowly begin to interact and take place, Hunter goes on to discuss the idea of “integration without complete assimilation” as one of the more popular movements amongst the Muslim youth in Europe.  This has lead to an increase in the national varieties of Islam that have formed as a result of these processes.  Hunter compares it to the implementation of Islam over centuries throughout Asia and Africa.  The overarching problems and concerns of European Muslims will eventually transpire into what Hunter calls a “European Islam,”(274).

Despite the progress of Muslim communities throughout Europe, there are still a host of issues that must be discussed when examining modern multiculturalism.  While our world is more globalized and informed than ever before, Muslim communities are still often under privileged and segregated from society.

On page 274 Hunter states, “The number of Muslims with Europeean citizenship has increased, but there is still resistance in some countries to easing the process of naturalization, thus limiting the level of Muslim political participation and representation”.

The multiculturalism of modern day is still skewed with the perception that followers of Islam are “outsiders” in European society.  Europeans pride themselves on their heritage and culture, but fail to accept Islam as a component of their landscape and identity.  Islam is still felt as an intrusion to the predominantly Christian population and this poses the biggest threat to successful integration of Muslims into European nations.    

Multiculturalism in Europe has extreme limitations that will continue to change as time goes on.  Each country in Europe faces unique challenges to the changing landscape of Muslim populations in their country.  The challenges are exasperated by the rise of ISIS and the future of multiculturalism in Europe will depend on the changing integration strategies each country implements.

 

 

Muslim youth in Europe is unique in that as a whole, they are younger than other Europeans.  According to a Pew Research study, the average age of Muslims in Europe was 32, compared with the 40 year-old average of Europeans.  This is just one general characteristic of the differences between Europeans and Muslims that has lead to some of the intergenerational challenges of Muslim youth.

There are distinct differences between Muslim immigrants, and those born in Europe.  While their parents are less likely to have assimilated to the cultural norms, Muslim individuals who have been born on European soil have a much better shot at integrating.  It is much easier to assimilate a young mind than a fully developed individual, and for that reason there is often a divide between Muslim youth and older generations of Muslim immigrants.

In Islam, Europe’s Second Religion Shireen Hunter says, “In reality, however, Muslim communities have evolved around different lines, ranging from assimilationist to communitarian.  But the most important movement, especially among the youth, is integration without complete assimilation,”(273).  

Hunter seems to think that this “integration without complete assimilation” will define the Muslim youth as they share differing viewpoints on religion and other aspects of assimilation that their parents don’t relate with.  Hunter also points out on page 216 that, “These two extreme poles–the integrating, secularizing Muslim, on the one hand, and the traditional or radical adherent, on the other-are often held up as representative of two major trends among contemporary muslim youth in Europe.”

Young Muslims find themselves caught between the culture their parents try to instill and the draws of Western society.  While they often want to adapt to Western culture, they are often subject to discrimination and secularization from people who view them as outsiders.  On page 274, Hunter says,”Despite some progress and some bright spots, most of Europe’s muslim communities constitute an underprivileged class, clustered in ghetto-like neighborhood imbued with a culture of deprivation and alienation and with antisocial propensities.” 

Despite these conditions, there are still a small percentage of them attracted to extremist ideas.  The situation is diverse, but persisting prejudice and discrimination against Muslims at various levels are among its primary causes.

There are numerous dynamics to consider that will determine the interaction between European’s muslim communities and society overall.  Islamic representation in the political sector is an important implication.  Hunter goes on to say, ” Much of this process involves bringing Islam into the forums of popular culture and public space,”(222).    Muslims need for their identity to be recognized by other individuals throughout forms of popular media.

Another huge shift has been in the demographics of individuals arriving to Europe.  The continued “Europeanization” of Muslim communities throughout Europe will continue to have a profound affect on the interaction between Muslim communities and society at large.  As the younger generations begin to accept the basic legal and political principles of their country of residence or citizenship, Muslims will become more engage in the social and political life of their country.  They are likewise unwilling to compromise the essential aspects of their faith.

With time, these processes will slowly begin to take place and the process of European Islam will emerge in a variety of contexts and varieties.  Each nation in Europe faces different yet distinct problems in this process and overcoming some of the overarching prejudice and stereotypes will prove to be a difficult task.  It will be interesting to see how Islam develops throughout Europe over the next 15-20 years.  Will the recent uptick in extremism continue?  Or will a distinct European Islam emerge?

 

Salman Rushdie is a British-Indian novelist best known for his novels Midnight’s Children, and The Satanic Verses.  In both of these novels Rushdie stirred up controversy and was accused of blasphemy against Islam.  The Satanic Verses was well received by critics, but it also drew immediate condemnation from many countries and followers of Islam.

Many countries with large Muslim populations banned the novel, and the spiritual leader of Iran Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa requiring the author’s execution.  Even today, media agencies in Iran have raised money in support of the fatwa against Rushdie for his portrayals of the prophet Muhammad.  Rushdie was forced into police protection and hiding for his work 

Most Muslims reacted with shock and anger from the passages of The Satanic Verses.  As Rushdie was born a Muslim, many in the U.K. and elsewhere felt that he had turned his back on his roots in the face of Western culture.  Protests and demonstrations ensued, and book burnings took place in Britain.  Rushdie claimed it to be a work of fiction in defending himself, but eventually apologized and renounced on anyway he insulted Islam.

The Rushdie affair created a tension between freedom of speech and the respect of religion in writing.  Countries such as India and Pakistan banned the book from their countries as part of the backlash from the conflict Rushdie had created.

Muslims in the U.K. often struggle to assimilate as is the case in other European nations.  In Islam: Europe’s Second Religions, Shireen Hunter writes “There is very little in the way of assimilation of the Muslim community, if assimilation is interpreted to imply movement towards acceptance of British beliefs, practices, and forms of worship,”(65).  I think Hunter is implying that if assimilation is defined as conforming to British ways of life, there is little of that actually occurring.  I believe Hunter is portraying the notion that Muslims seem to be separate communities than the one of overall British society.  Hunter goes on to say that “the assimilationist stance is not, however, shared by poorer working-class communities.  While they may well negotiate with the local authorities and may share some of their values, they see their own often mosque-based communities as primary foci of belonging,”(65).

I believe that is a dangerous categorical assumption but not truthful for every individual.  While there are surely Muslim individuals who this is true for, categorizing everyone that way is what leads to discrimination and segregations.  An overwhelming majority of Muslims want to assimilate in some way and thinking otherwise only limits any of those efforts.

The influence of Western experiences on Muslims has lead to modernistic viewpoints and conversely, more conservative viewpoints.  Many Muslims struggle to integrate their religion, their way of life into Western society and side with the more conservative leaders who want to preserve Islam.  Others try to understand Islam in an ever-changing sense of modernity where their religion and beliefs are in direct conflict with the culture and societies they live in.  In Malaysia and other areas individuals have a desire to create an Islamic state where their beliefs of Islam are enforced, while others seek ways to integrate Islam into modern society.

 

 

 

 

In addressing the issues of Islam in Germany, it is important to first discuss the impact of the first 3 crusades on the image of Islam in Europe.  In The No-Nonsense Guide to Islam by Ziauddin Sardar and Merryl Davies, the authors state,

“The crusades played an important part in creating a European image of Islam and Muslims that has persisted to this day”(91).

It’s important to understand these cultural differences have hundreds of years of foundation behind them which has in large part lead to the stereotypes and current situation we see today.  The crusades were a precursor to many of the integration issues we se today.  As Nurfur Gole boldly stated in his book The Other Europe,

“The fabric connecting immigrants and natives in Europe is not easily woven; distrust, fear, and mutual rejection often constitute the affective bedrock of an impossible relationship”(17).

He goes on to back up this claim in discussing the the absence of connection between Turks and Germans. First generation Turkish immigrants often kept to themselves and did not conform to many of the cultural norms Germans take pride in.  Gole also discusses the notion that Turkey is a nation through which immigration flows into Europe.   He raises the question of whether Turkey is constructing a bridge between two worlds, or becoming a microcosm of the clash of civilizations.These historical discrepancies between two “different worlds” has undoubtedly contributed to increased tensions and Islamophobia throughout Europe and Germany.  This article discussed the rising Muslim population in Germany and how the figures have affected public perceptions of immigration in the nation.  According to the article, 

“While the report claims Islam is now a major part of German society they revealed that the majority of non-immigrant Germans do not agree. When asked if they think Islam is a part of Germany, 53 percent of the correspondents answered no, compared to those of a Turkish immigrant background who said overwhelmingly that Islam was part of German culture.”

This just goes to show the misperceptions each group has with one another.  Germany has approximately the 2nd highest concentration of Muslim’s at 5.8% according to Pew Research.  There are distinct differences and challenges Germany and other nations face in bridging the gaps of these differences.  Germany has become a popular destination for many of the refugees, but why?  

Germans are more tolerable of Muslim populations than other European nations according to the same study.  I believe Germany is a popular destination because they are more tolerable to these differences and offer the best chance for economic prosperity.  Recently, there has been an increase in anti-muslim protests in response to the refugee crisis and following attacks throughout Europe.

The Dispossessed article by Alia Malek and Josh Neufeld was not a very good illustration of the issue at hand in my opinion.  I did not think the comic provided a good visual or storyline that represented the complexities of the issue at hand.  The article before the comic was representative of a lot of the struggles the migrants face I believe, but the comic story rubbed me the wrong way.  I think it oversimplified the plight in many aspects and I just don’t think comics are the proper way to tell the story in this situation because it oversimplifies and depersonifies a lot of the issues.