The Islamic Challenge: Politics and Religion in Western Europe

The voices in this book belong to parliamentarians, city councillors, doctors and engineers, a few professors, lawyers and social workers, owners of small businesses, translators, and community activists. They are also all Muslims, who have decided to become engaged in political and civic organizations. And for that reason, they constantly have to explain themselves, mostly in order to say who they are not. They are not fundamentalists, not terrorists, and most do not support the introduction of Islamic religious law in Europe - especially not its application to Christians. This book is about who these people are, and what they want. This book is based on three hundred interviews with European Muslim leaders from six European countries: Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Great Britain, France, and Germany. The question of Islam in Europe is not a matter of global war and peace but raises difficult questions about the positions of Christianity and Islam in public life, and about European identities. Europe's Muslim political leaders are not aiming to overthrow liberal democracy and to replace secular law with Islamic religious law. Those are the positions of a minority. There is not one Muslim position on how Islam should develop in Europe but many views, and most Muslims are rather looking for ways to build institutions that will allow European Muslims to practice their religion in a way that is compatible with social integration.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: Islam in Europe 1: Europe's New Muslim Political Elite 2: How do Muslim Leaders see the Problems? 3: Faith and Politics 4: From Integration to Culture War 5: Christian and Muslim Europe 6: Sexual Politics and Multiculturalism Conclusion: Liberal Muslims and the Emergence of European Islam Methodological Appendix Bibliography

About the Author :
Jytte Klausen is Professor of Politics at Brandeis University and Research Associate at The Center for European Studies, at Harvard University. She is the author of numerous books and articles on immigrant integration, Islam in Europe, the European welfare state and social inclusion.

Review :
`Review from previous edition 'refreshingly down to earth book...this valuable book may also force Europeans to question the self-image of their continent as an essentially secular place.' ' The Economist `'All in all, this is an extremely interesting book, not least because it tackles some of the most important issues currently facing European Muslims. If you want to know what European Muslims have to say about religion, politics, identity, social integration, multiculturalism and foreign policy, then I recommend you read this book.' ' The Muslim News, June 2006 `'The Islamic Challenge: Politics and Religion in Western Europe is a timely contributions to the 'Muslims in the West' literature, which poses questions that have not been addressed before... Overall, The Islamic Challenge's cross-national study contributes important insights.' ' Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies `'Klausen's survey presents a useful counterpoint to the now-hackneyed image of disaffected Muslim youth.' ' World Policy Journal