Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari

Secretary General, Muslim Council of Britain

Today a significant proportion of Europe’s population is represented by Muslims. The Muslim presence and contribution in Europe today is a fact of life. Muslims number approximately 20 millions and that is without including Turkey. When Turkey is included the number rises to 90 million, and this is without the addition of the number of Muslims in the RussianRepublics. We have come a long way from the time when we used to be described as ‘Muslims in Europe’, then as ‘Muslims of Europe’ and now as ‘European Muslims’.

Europe played a predominant role in global affairs for the last few centuries. But the two world wars that started in Europe greatly contributed to a decline in European dominance in world affairs by the mid-20th century. However it retained its influence in alliance with the US so far.

Muslim diversity in Europe has its strength and weaknesses. Across Europe today, Muslims are navigating their life between opportunities and challenges. Today there exists a powerful narrative that presents startling assertions of how young European Muslims are susceptible to extremism, how the very faith of Islam leads to radicalisation and how Muslims, because of their creed, choose to live in ghettos and therefore create swamps from which extremism breed. The most extreme form of this narrative is found in the idea of “Eurabia”, an incendiary term that purportedly describes a phenomenon where Muslims are invading fortress Europe and are now contaminating Europe's very DNA. From this narrative comes the impetus to deal with Muslims as ‘Others’. Ideas are expressed from even some mainstream politicians that accommodating religious or cultural differences is dangerous. A false dichotomy is created in which Muslims must choose between a European identity or a supposedly separate Islamic identity. 

The panic is created by sections of the media, when isolated Muslim stories are reported as regular occurrences and polls are cited out of context. Couple of examples comes to mind. The first is the riots of 2005/06 in French inner-cities that were described as a Muslim issue, when in fact the events were a symptom of social alienation and economic deprivation. Another example is the selective citation of polls, often out of context, to illustrate how Muslims in Europe are creating a separate world for themselves. An ICM poll in Britain in 2006 suggested that 40% of British Muslims wanted the introduction of Shariah law. There was, of course, no mention of the nuances. Muslims – like those from the Jewish faith – requested parity in certain aspects of family law within the British system. It is also forgotten that some aspects of Shariah-compliant finance has already been accommodated in the British financial system.

The relationship between European Muslims’ faith and their identification towards European nation is much more complex. Muslims are a very diverse community. Seldom does it conform to the stereotype constructed by the Eurabia thesis. This narrative hides another aspect of reality that is often put under the carpet. Muslims in most European countries fall way behind most other communities in educational under-achievement and socio-political deprivation. While there are pockets of successes, this has negative effect in their disproportionate share of prison population in some countries, to give just one example.

A wide ranging global Gallup study that has culminated in the book “Who Speaks for Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think” by John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed includes detailed and sophisticated analysis of European Muslims’ attitudes. It is true Muslims living in Paris, London and Berlin are more religious than the general public, but at the same time just as likely as the general public to identify strongly with their nation and its democratic institutions, and just as likely to reject violence. Simply put, Muslims reflect the prevailing status quo with regard to loyalty to their nation and its democracy, and in rejecting violence. The results suggest that religious and national identities are complimentary, not competing concepts. 

In Muslim communities everywhere, there is a need to challenge this narrative, for example by making known more loudly the theological repudiation of violence. They must redouble their efforts to reach out in local communities and demonstrate the realities of their faith. For example, Dutch Muslims are currently resisting the provocations of a right-wing politician who is bent on releasing a film that can only inflame hatred against Islam. They are responding by opening up their mosques and reaching out to neighbours.

My message therefore to my brothers and sisters in Europe that our success lies in the success of the society and the country we live in. No section of a people can progress in isolation. As Muslims we have commitments to the ‘Qawm’ or nation of which we are an integral part, alongside our wider commitment to the global ‘Ummah’. Prophets of Allah sought the betterment of their nation in spite of the fact that vast majority of them rejected them. They lovingly addressed them as: ‘Ya Qawmi – O my nation!’.

As for the challenges that we face the only path is ‘sabr’, ‘amal’ and ‘tawakkul’. We need to redouble our efforts to build our community and work for the common good of all in our society.