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1 - Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

By
Effie Fokas
Edited by
Aziz Al-Azmeh  and
Effie Fokas
Effie Fokas
Affiliation:
Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy
Aziz Al-Azmeh
Affiliation:
Central European University, Budapest
Effie Fokas
Affiliation:
Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP)
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Summary

It is a daunting task to introduce a text on this subject today, given the rapid pace of change surrounding Islam in Europe. The vast dimensions of this change defy simple summary and necessitate new, continuous and multifaceted research. By contrast, it is all too easy to list developments that have saturated print and electronic media coverage of Islam and of Muslims – even if only superficially related to the latter. The list ranges from examples of extremism such as the killing of Theo van Gogh and the Madrid and London bombings, to controversies pivoting on Islam, such as the eruptions following the printing of the cartoons of Mohammed in the Danish Jyllands-Posten and the reprinting elsewhere (aftershocks continue to be felt in the form of intense debates on free speech versus blasphemy, or versus religion, or versus Islam, depending on the interlocutor's perspective), and following Pope Benedict XVI's denigrating words on Islam in his Regensburg University speech. Meanwhile, also contentious have been plans for the subjection of immigrants to ‘citizenship tests’ aimed at assessing whether their values are compatible with those of the majority community. The Dutch example is the most poignant, suggesting little tolerance for immigrants who do not embrace Dutch values of tolerance, and raising further debate on whether ‘some values are better than others’. International press reports also bring to light national-level debates, such as controversy over the ‘identity soup’ served in soup kitchens in France to the exclusion of Muslims (and Jews), renewed disputes regarding the wearing of headscarves in public schools, and tensions concerning the building of mosques (most acute in France, Italy and of course Greece).

Type
Chapter
Information
Islam in Europe
Diversity, Identity and Influence
 , pp. 1 - 15
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2007

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  • Introduction
    • By Effie Fokas, Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy
  • Edited by Aziz Al-Azmeh, Central European University, Budapest, Effie Fokas
  • Book: Islam in Europe
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511809309.002
Available formats
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Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • Introduction
    • By Effie Fokas, Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy
  • Edited by Aziz Al-Azmeh, Central European University, Budapest, Effie Fokas
  • Book: Islam in Europe
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511809309.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Introduction
    • By Effie Fokas, Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy
  • Edited by Aziz Al-Azmeh, Central European University, Budapest, Effie Fokas
  • Book: Islam in Europe
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511809309.002
Available formats
×