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Moslems in Europe-Threat or Opportunity

Richard LewisIES Vrije Universiteit BrusselRuppin Academic CentreMay 31st 2010

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Some Issues

• How many Muslims are there in Europe (How do you define Europe ?)

• Where do they live and why?• What difficulties do they encounter?• Why is there near hysteria in Europe

and abroad about Muslims in Europe (Algeria, Bosnia, Albania)?

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• Best guess is about 20 million – wild figure of 50 million (Geert Wilders)

• They live in cities – support systems and social/religious contacts

• Suffer same difficulties as other immigrants – jobs, housing etc plus discrimination because of dress, religious customs, political events

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Belgium

• Muslims number about 430.000 in Belgium –about 4% of population

• About 40% live in Brussels in 6 communes (out of 19) = 17% of the Brussels Region

• 80% of Muslims in Brussels are from Morocco or Turkey. They are Sunnis.

• Several national and regional ministerial positions held by Muslims. None favour ethno-religious identification

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• Islam in a public space in Brussels communes (Torrekens 2010)

• Dual identities• The mosque as a place of social and political space• But not necessarily visibility (Schaerbeek and

Bourmestre Nols’ town planning)• Uncertainty of legal (charitable) status between

federal and local government

• (Corinne Torrekens 2010)

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Islam in Brussels

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Introduction

• Central question: why do American Muslims seem to do better than Muslims living in Europe?

• Case study: Brussels - Detroit• Why Brussels - Detroit?

Significant Muslim populations in each city

Post-industrial cities

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Methodology

• Exchange of experts: police, housing, culture, political affairs, education, anti-racism, social services

• Interviews, presentations and discussion

• Difficulties of measuring ‘integration’ What is integration?

• Exploratory research

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The nature of Muslim immigration in both cities

(US and Europe)

• Old society vs. new phenomenon• US immigrants: the ‘American dream’ vs.

Europe: ‘guest worker’ philosophy • Higher level of education of Muslim

immigrants in US• Concentration in certain neighbourhoods• Greater solidarity amongst Muslims in

America• Different national background

Brussels: mainly North-African countries (Turkey and Morocco)

Detroit: Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and African Americans

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Existing research in the US

• 2,53 million Muslims in US (under 1%) vs. 20 million in the EU (high concentrations)

• 47% of Muslims in US think of themselves as Muslim first against 75% in EU

• Muslims Americans reject extremism• 63% do not see conflict between being

American and being a Muslim• Nexus integration and citizenship greater

in US

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Anti-racism and anti-discrimination

• Existing research shows less discrimination against Muslims in Detroit than in Brussels (but post-9/11 attitudes)

• Specific issues in EU: headscarves and cartoons• Asymmetric power relationship between the host

society and minorities in Belgium; less in US (Canada as best example)

• Attitudes: For Belgians, Muslims are ‘immigrants’(allochtones), in the US they are ‘Arab-Americans’

• Anti-discrimination and anti-racism policies and legislation exist both in the US and the EU (e.g. Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms Charter) but lack of enforcement

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Policing

• Convergence of practice between the two cities (and Windsor, Ontario)

• Recruiting minorities• Involvment in community activities

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Housing and Urban space

• Concentration of Muslims in Brussels in inner neighbourhoods (but “problem” of gentrification)

• Central Detroit largely African American; Muslims mainly live in suburbs

• Importance of creating a liveable environment

• Rise (and fall?) of public housing• Need to re-appropriate urban space for all

inhabitants-new and old (mix of space)

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Social services

• Different approach to social security (public vs. private)

• Confusing public social service networks in Brussels because of Francophone and Flemish Communities

• More financial solidarity in Arab-American communities (e.g. Access)

• Less cultural hang-ups in the US

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Education

• Both cities are struggling to counter the negative impact of spatial segregation

• Different mentality US: responsible for own upward mobility

(American dream) Brussels: lack of similar motivation

• Canada: example of how education system can best promote integration

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Culture

• Cultural projects can bridge ethnic dividesBrussels: Zinneke parade Detroit: Concert of Colors and Arab-

American Museum

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Head Scarves etc

• Dress• Diet• Holidays• Work Place

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Dress

• Head scarves are not an issue in the US (more religious observance?)

• Burkhas, security, identity, gender issues- where to draw lines?

• Wide divergence of practice in Europe

• France: strong constitutional lay tradition

• Jurisprudence: contradictory?

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Diet

• Provision of halal food: a right and an obligation?

• Ritual slaughter: derogation from veterinary norms; how far should that be allowed

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Holidays and Work Place

• Time off for Friday prayer• Time off for special feast days• Provision for daily prayer• Disruption or reasonable

accommodation?

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Conclusions

• There are no set rules for the successful integration of any immigrant group, including Muslims

• Muslims have specific needs but generally face the same problems as all immigrants

• Dialogue Brussels-Detroit highlighted similarities, differences and best practices (learning through exchange)

• Muslims are not a homogenous group; different backgrounds and traditions

• Act locally; direct consultation of community groups

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Practical recommendations

• Work with and not for the community• Intercultural training of teachers and social

workers• Make economic and cultural contributions

of Muslims more visible• Invest in multicultural realities• Instill a sense of pride in neighbourhoods• Invest in support programmes for newly-

arriving immigrants

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Possible follow-up to project

• Colloquia in Brussels involving Muslim leaders

• Exchange of personnel from participating organizations in Brussels and Detroit

• Set up contact points for Detroit-Brussels policy forum, involving local organizations and government

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European religious identity

• “The political disputes that led to the removal from the (EU) treaty of all references to Europe’s Christian roots, to a Europe that is unquestionably Jewish, Christian, secular and a product of the Enlightenment, exposed our weaknesses”

• (Franco Frattini at the Council of Europe January 2010)

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The Danish Cartoons

• Whatever the legalities, it was designed to provoke – freedom of expression?

• T. Modood: “The cartoons are not just about one individual but about Muslims per se… one (should) rely on the sensitivity and responsibility of individuals and institutions to refrain from what is legal but unacceptable”

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Danish cartoons (2)

• Bill Clinton: “totally outrageous” – “akin to pre-war anti-semitism”

• Jylland Post editors racist?• Denmark anti-Islamic?• Do the cartoons equate Muslims with

terrorism?

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What can be done?

• Multiply the internal inter-faith contacts

• Change attitudes to immigrants in Europe through the media and education

• Raise the opportunity threshold for Moslem youth

• Exchange programmes with Moslem countries

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• Encourage greater religious tolerance in Islamic countries through governmental and ngo contacts

• Make greater allowance for Islamic practice in every day life “reasonable accommodation”)

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What we can also do

• Ensure that school curricula are uniform and non-sectarian

• Not tolerate a separate value system• Use cultural conflict as an

opportunity to build bridges to Islamic countries and communities

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Some unanswered questions

• Are Muslims a threat to fundamental European (Judeo-Christian) values?

• Where do we draw the lines on dress? (France and Belgium have already banned the burkha)

• How do we balance between civil liberties and what is acceptable especially regarding women’s rights. The right to be different should not lead to a difference of rights

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“Certain values are non-negotiable otherwise they alter the fundamentals of our democracy. For example, equality between women and men and the rights of homosexuals – equalities and rights that we have taken decades, even centuries, to achieve. These are the issues on which a return to the past is not acceptable”. (Viviane Teitelbaum)

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