European Islam

European Islam (French: "Islam de l'Europe") or Euro-Islam is a hypothesized new branch of Islam, which some believe is or should be emerging in Europe. This new kind of Islam would combine the duties and principles of Islam with the contemporary European cultures, including Europe's post-Enlightnement values and traditions such as human rights, rule of law, democracy and gender equality.

Historical European Islam

Islamic traditions are found in Europe primarily in the former territory of the Ottoman Empire (the Balkans), and in Russian Tatarstan. The Iberian peninsula has a medieval history dominated by Islam, but had been re-conquered into Christendom by 1500.

Albania

In 1923, the Albanian Muslim congress convened at Tirana decided to break with the Caliphate, establishing a new form of prayer (standing, instead of the traditional salah ritual), banishing polygamy and the mandatory use of veil (hijab) by women in public. [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,727115,00.html A note about Albania] published in Time magazine in April 14, 1923]

Poland

Although by 18th century most of the Tatars serving in the military had become polonized, while the lower classes of the Muslim community gradually adopted the Old Belarusian language (per the research and classification of Yan Stankyevich and A. K. Antanovich), the Sunni and tatar traditions were preserved. This led to formation of a distinctive Muslim culture of Central Europe, in which elements of Muslim orthodoxy mixed with religious tolerance and a relatively liberal society. For instance, the women in Lipka Tatar society traditionally had the same rights as men (as is the case in traditional islam), were granted equal status and could attend common non-segregated schools.

Use of the term

Tariq Ramadan

Tariq Ramadan is considered to be one of the coiners of the term "European Islam". Ramadan calls for creating a new European-Muslim identity in his book "To Be a European Muslim" and he demands participation of Muslims in social and cultural life in conformation with European culture and Muslim ethics and says Muslims should disassociate themselves from Saudi-Arabia and from terrorism. He also thinks that European Muslims "need to separate Islamic principles from their cultures of origin and anchor them in the cultural reality of Western Europe." [N. Le Quesne, "Trying to Bridge A Great Divide" in "Time"] However, Ramadan also says that "Europeans also must start considering Islam as a European religion."

Academic community

In recent years, research on Muslim communities in Europe has shifted from labor and social policy concerns to issues of 'religion' and 'culture'. In particular, there has been a growing interest in the possible emergence of a specifically 'European Islam'. [N. FADIL, "Muslim girls in Belgium: individual freedom through religion?", [http://www.clubofamsterdam.com/content.asp?contentid=388] ] The collective hypothesis that seems to be forming is - according to sociologist Nadia Fadil - that in coming years Islam will adapt to 'new' European structures in a way that will enable Muslims to consider themselves full European citizens.

Xavier Bougarel

Xavier Bougarel, research fellow at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in the Ottoman and Turkish Studies unit, thinks that Balkan Muslims are playing an important role in the evolution of Islam in Europe towards a European Islam. With the possible EU enlargement towards the Balkans, about eight million Muslims would become EU citizens, doubling the number of Muslims in the EU-27 bloc. [ [http://www.epc.eu/en/er.asp?AI=559&LV=293&PG=ER/EN/detail&TYP=ER&see=y&t=2 European Policy Centre Website ] ]

Jocelyne Cesari

Jocelyne Cesari, research associate at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University, says that while Islam is perceived as colliding with European secular values "Islam is simply a religion." [http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/751/fo2.htm Enemy within] , Al Ahram Weekly] According to Cesari Muslims need to reveal the "genuine tolerant face of Islam, to show its diversity and reveal to the world that an intellectual as Mohamed Abdou is the best example for a modern thinker."

Cesari talks of the secularization of individual Islamic practices and of Islamic institutions, as well as the efforts Muslims are making to maintain the relevancy of Islamic legal systems and what she calls the "gender jihad" [ [http://www.amazon.com/dp/1403971463] , Amazon editorial review, Karen Leonard, Professor of Anthropology and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Irvine] She thinks that Islam should be merged into European culture and that Islamic culture should be added to Europe's educational curricula.

Jorgen Nielsen

Jorgen Nielsen, professor of Islamic studies at the Birmingham University says that "Europeanizing" Islam "requires changes in relations between the sexes, in relations between parents and children, significant changes in attitudes to people of other religions, and in attitudes toward the state." [Peter Ford, "Europe's rising class of believers: Muslims" in "Christian Science Monitor", February 24, 2005, [http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0224/p10s01-woeu.html] ] Nielsen believes that this is happening. While only a minority of Muslims is assimilating completely with secular European culture, "the majority are sticking to their religion but divorcing it from the cultural tradition and redressing it in a new culture."

Bassam Tibi

Euroislam is a neologism introduced by the political scientist Bassam Tibi. The term refers to Islam in Europe, often assuming a liberal and progressive interpretation. Bassam Tibi dissociates himself from the Islamists, who reject Euro-Islam. He estimates that they amount to 3%-5% of the Muslims currently living in Europe. He says they are nevertheless a dangerous minority since they want to "hijack" the Muslim community. According to Tibi, Euro-Islam means acceptance of separation of church and state. As contrast he sees the ghettoization of the Muslims with potential for conflict.

Other approaches to integration

Robert S. Leiken

Robert S. Leiken says that both the multiculturalism and assimilation methods failed and that an integration policy still needs to be developed, something which will not happen overnight.

European Commission proposal

Following the failed car bomb attacks in London and the failed Glasgow airport attack in June 2007, the European Commission started pooling ideas on how to tackle radical Islam and create an "European Islam", i.e. an Islam which is a more tolerant "European" branch of the faith. [Renata Goldirova, "Brussels questions EU capitals over approach to Islam" in "the EUobserver", July 6, 2007, [http://euobserver.com/9/24436] ] EU home affairs commissioner Franco Frattini also sent out an 18-question survey asking EU member states how they address violent radicalisation, mainly related to an abusive interpretation of Islam. In addition, Mr Frattini wants to pursue and further the idea of establishing a so-called "European Islam" or "Islam de l'Europe" – something floated by France's then interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy in 2006.

ee also

*Islam in Europe
*Islamism
*Liberal movements within Islam
*Religion in the European Union

External links

* [http://www.projects.aegee.org/euroislam/index.php?id=12 The Euroislam Project]
* [http://www.euromuslim.net/ European Muslim network]
* [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/04/ac901af4-b99f-4673-bb7a-b1e98d4ef0dd.html Islam: The Challenges Of European Integration And Muslim Identity] , Radio Free Europe
* [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12812201 Islam à la française? MSNBC Article]

References