This book provides an overview of the identity and sense of belonging of Muslims in the Western world. By presenting case studies on European countries such as France, the Netherlands and the UK, as well as the USA and Canada, it offers a comparative perspective on how Muslims feel toward and are integrated in their country of residence. The respective contributions examine the sense of belonging and identity of Muslims and compare their levels of integration. Furthermore, they discuss the compatibility of their religious beliefs and values with the political and democratic order of their country of residence, and make concrete policy recommendations. The book is chiefly intended for scholars of political science and migration studies who are seeking a comparative perspective on the status quo of Muslims’ integration in the Western world.

Primary and secondary source documents discuss the Islamic view of Western culture, the Western perspective on Islam, the confrontation of the two cultures, jihad, and Islam in Europe.

The evolution of Islam in the West and the utopian ideology of radical Muslims have ushered in political discussion in the international sphere. This book investigates the transposition of relevance from the West to Muslim civilization and the construction of reality of Muslims’ identity in Western societies. It explores different facets of Muslims and multiculturalism in constructing Muslims’ identity in Western societies. To this end, this book focuses on evolving perceptions on Muslims in the West. It does this by explaining and evaluating the symbiotic relationship between Islam and the West. In particular, it analyses the behaviour of Muslims and their pursuance of the concept of religious nationalism within Western societies. The central aim of this study is explore the difficulties in the assimilation and integration of Muslims in Western societies. It will be useful for political scientists, religious scholars and enquirers into Islam in Western societies.

Looking closely at relations between Muslims and their host countries, Abdulkader H. Sinno and an international group of scholars examine questions of political representation, identity politics, civil liberties, immigration, and security issues. While many have problematized Muslims in the West, this volume takes a unique stance by viewing Muslims as a normative, and even positive, influence in Western politics. Squarely political and transatlantic in scope, the essays in this collected work focus on Islam and Muslim citizens in Europe and the Americas since 9/11, the European bombings, and the recent riots in France. Main topics include Muslim political participation and activism, perceptions about Islam and politics, Western attitudes about Muslim visibility in the political arena, radicalization of Muslims in an age of apparent shrinking of civil liberties, and personal security in politically uneasy times.

This book analyzes the development of Islam and Muslim communities in the West, including influences from abroad, relations with the state and society, and internal community dynamics. The project examines the emergence of Islam in the West in relation to the place of Muslim communities as part of the social fabric of Western societies. It provides an overview of the major issues and debates that have arisen over the last three to four decades surrounding the presence of new Muslim communities residing in Western liberal democracies. As such, the volume is an ideal text for courses focusing on Islam and Muslim communities in the West.

Islam, like the West, is not a homogenous monolith. However, Islam is most commonly represented in the West in terms of suicide bombing, suppressed and veiled women, and internal and external conflict. These depictions of Islam suggest that the relationship between Islam and the West is, and has always been, one of hostility and hatred. However, this collection locates threads of connection and 'love' between Islam and the West, and argues that it is important to bring them to the forefront i ...

Islam in the West: Beyond Integration offers an overview and a profile of Muslims living in the West, their identity, integration and citizenship. The book tries to answer some hard questions surrounding the interplay between religious and national identities, and how these two types of identities negotiate their place in the hearts of Western Muslims. Case studies cover constructive integration in Canada, assimilation in France and the exclusionist approach in Bosnia. Some answers to the questions on citizenship are presented from an Islamic perspective, taking into account Islamic formative principles — the Qur’an and Sunnah (the Prophetic tradition) — as they pertain to the globalized world of today. This includes an examination of historical perspectives found in the scholarly discourses on citizenship unearthed from early Muslim history as well as from contemporary times. These issues are analyzed through the prism of a religiously pluralistic and culturally diverse society. This book is published in English. - Le besoin de mieux comprendre l’identité, l’intégration, la citoyenneté, l’appartenance et la loyauté musulmanes en Occident n’a jamais été aussi grand. Ce petit livre aborde les grandes problématiques portant sur les musulmans canadiens. Qui sont les musulmans canadiens ? Que faut-il pour qu’un pays soit une terre d’accueil saine et accueillante ? Ces questions sont abordées dans la première section. Qu’est-ce que l’identité musulmane canadienne ? Cette section offre des pistes de réponses aux difficiles questions entourant l’interaction entre les identités religieuse et nationale. Sont-elles contradictoires ou complémentaires ? Comment se compare le modèle canadien d’intégration ? Deux modèles très différents sont présentés à titre de comparaisons : le modèle d’assimilation à la française, et l’approche bosnienne d’exclusion. Qu’est-ce que la « citoyenneté » d’un point de vue islamique ? La dernière section explore les principes formateurs de l’Islam – le Coran et la sunna (tradition prophétique) à l’ère de la mondialisation. L’histoire de l’Islam, y compris son histoire contemporaine jettent un éclairage intéressant sur la question. Fondé sur la compréhension accrue et le respect, ce petit livre contribue de manière positive au débat actuel sur la place des musulmans canadiens et de l’Islam au Canada. Voici le titre inaugural de la Collection 101, une série de brèves introductions, en 101 pages, aux grands débats de société. Ce livre est publié en anglais.

The anthology is an introduction to political cultures in the Islamic world and into relations between the West and Islam. It details its analysis in country studies on Algeria, Iran, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, Bosnia, Israel/Palestine, Iraq, Central Asia and Pakistan.

Begins by offering a reading of Islamic sources, interpreting them for a Western context. The author demonstrates how an understanding of universal Islamic principles can open the door to integration into Western societies. He then shows how these principles can be put to practical use.

This material on Scandinavian converts tells the unique story of how Europeans embrace a new religion and their tendency to adjust and modify the social message of their new religion to the social values handled by the society they live in.