Moslems in Europe-Threat or
Opportunity
Richard Lewis
IES Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Ruppin Academic Centre
May 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 Brussels
• 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
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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, antiracism, social services
• Interviews, presentations and discussion
• Difficulties of measuring ‘integration’
 What is integration?
• Exploratory research
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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 ‘ArabAmericans’
• 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
divides
Brussels: 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 issueswhere 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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