Muslim Communities in the New Europe

Abstract

Although Muslim Communities in the New Europe is long and complex, it is not obscure, and each of its sixteen chapters can be read as a separate entity. The contributors are seventeen academics from universities in various countries of Eastern and Western Europe, as well as the three editors who are based at three English universities. A short preface is followed by the first chapter, which is also the first part of the book, appropriately titled “Themes and Puzzles.” The remaining chapters examine selected countries individually in Eastern and Westem Europe in parts I1 and 111, respectively. Each chapter has helpful and clear endnotes, and a useful index is also included. Tables analyzing the Muslim populations in East European countries are given in chapter 2 and those of Belgium and The Netherlands in chapter 10. In the Preface, the book is described as the “final outcome of a three-year project” to “produce a coherent comparative overview of. . . the role and position of these Muslim communities.” The material was gathered from two international conferences on the subject and from researchers throughout Europe. Professor Gerd NoMeman modestly states: “This volume cannot claim to be comprehensive, but. . . it is hoped that it may contribute to a better understanding of the trends and dynamics involved, and provide the basis for further work.” Chapter 1 outlines the events leadiig up to the present general situation in the new Europe. The continent is divided into (1) Eastern Europe, where, after the collapse of Communism at the end of the 1980s. strong nationalist and religious feelings erupted; and (2) Western Europe, which, during a long economic recession, absorbed a sudden large influx of migrants from African and Asian countries suffering serious political and economic upheaval. In parts I1 and 111 the contributors seek to answer a wide range of important questions concerning the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims in Europe generally and between Muslims and non-Muslim governments in particular. How significant is the influence of history, the current economy, the origins of the Muslims and the level of their adherence to Islam, local and central government policies, local customs, international relations, public opinion, and so on? How does the reaction of the younger generation of Muslims to their situation compare with that of their parents? Throughout the studies of the selected countries, the fear of the perceived loss of security and identity seems to be at the root of action and reaction by both Muslims and non-Muslims. How far can the minority and majority societies adapt to each other without either side losing its identity and security? Possible solutions to the problems of integrating Muslims into non-Muslim societies are suggested by some of the contributors. Chapter 2 examines the links between religion and ethnicity in Eastern Europe, where Islam has been “an indigenous presence for centuries.” Although Islam is independent of race, color, and language, “around the fringes of the Islamic world” it is the basis of the identity of certain groups within nationalities, such as the Bosnian Muslims and Bulgarian Pomaks. The contributors then tackle one of the puzzles, that of how to define ethnicity. They descrike the current theories, which put varying emphasis on the objective elements of kinship, physical appearance, culture, and language, and the subjective elements, namely, the “feeling of community” and the “representations which the group has of itself” (p. 28) ...