How Muslims Live in Europe

The Centre for Modern Oriental Studies is the only German research institute devoted to an interdisciplinary and comparative study of the Middle East, Africa, South and Southeast Asia from a historical perspective. Volker Thomas introduces its research project on Muslims in Europe

A girl practices rollerblading, wearing a heradscarf (photo: dpa)
The Centre for Modern Oriental Studies currently focuses on the interaction between predominantly Muslim societies and their relations with non-Muslim neighbours

​​In seven different surveys, researchers at Centre for Modern Oriental Studies (ZMO) are investigating the groups, movements and institutions of religious Muslims in European countries.

The research project, whose full title is "A Comparison of Muslims in Europe and in their home communities in Asia and Africa: Religion in practice, its diversity and consequences in different contexts", is a joint project of the ZMO and the Universities of Frankfurt/Oder, Hamburg and Halle.

The project is supported by a programme of the German Ministry of Education and Research on the role of the humanities in social dialogue, and will run over a period of three years until 2009. Professor Dr. Dietrich Reetz of the ZMO in Berlin is responsible for its coordination.

The role of the sexes

Dr. Schirin Amir-Moazami of Viadrina University in Frankfurt/Oder is, for example, examining the notions behind the role of the sexes, which are being discussed in the Islamic Association Milli Görüs (IGMG). Milli Görüs is one of the largest Islamic associations in Germany (26,500 members) with close contacts to Turkey. IGMG is a source of controversy among the German public because some of its members allegedly hold convictions that run contrary to Germany's constitutional laws.

However, Milli Görus is increasingly presenting itself to the German public with a positive image and an interest in making a contribution to social affairs in Germany.

The issue that interests Schirin Amir-Moazami above all is: Who are the people in authority that determine the ideas of Muslim communities on the role of women? What is the position of women when it comes to interpreting religious sources?

"Something like Islamic feminism"

"Until now the men had the sole right of interpretation as far as the holy scriptures are concerned", says the political scientist. "Some Islamic women are now no longer prepared to accept that. Something like Islamic feminism now exists, even if that is only a catchphrase for the time being."

She gives as an example the Inssan organization, an association of Muslims who have devoted themselves to humanitarianism and tolerance. For some time now they have been campaigning against forced marriages and so-called "honour killings", and champion the rights of women. The question is whether the "awakening" of women in Muslim communities might develop into a kind of "Euro Islamism".

Another research project focuses on Islamic educational institutions in Germany and their links to the Muslims' countries of origin. Where and how are the imams, the religious leaders and Muslim teachers of religious education trained? This sub-project, based at the University of Halle, examines the reformist community of the Ahmadiya in Germany. They are considered by Muslims to be dissenters even though they come from a region in which most of the world's Muslims live: Pakistan and India. The project compares how the Ahmadiya are treated in different countries.

Southern Asian lay preachers

Another two Islamic groups from Southern Asia move "between discrimination and assimilation" in the European diaspora – the Tabilighi Jama'at and the Daw'at-i Islami, which are the subject of a sub-survey carried out by the ZMO. Both groups are in favour of an Islamic way of life and challenge the position of secularised Muslims in Europe. They see themselves as lay preachers, who support Muslims in their faith and want to convert them to practicing their religion on a regular basis.

The project "Islamism, Reformism and Civilization in France" carried out at the Viadrina University deals with the Union of Islamic Organizations in France (Union des Organisations Islamiques de France: UOIF), the most significant and influential Islamic federation in Europe.

Finally, the research project carried out in Hamburg is examining the experience gathered in Islamic schools in South Africa, Great Britain and the Netherlands. It poses the following question: Does joint tuition contribute to integration or do we have to tolerate separate Islamic instruction in schools? In Great Britain there are already 116 Islamic schools. South Africa introduced them during the apartheid regime for the purpose of ethnic segregation, and so today Muslim children are taught Islamic values and standards in around 100 schools.

In the Netherlands, Islamic schools are permitted when a sufficient number of Muslim families live in a certain part of town. Thirty of these schools exist today. The teachers are employed and paid by the government.

Influence on policy-making processes

Not only should the results of the project close gaps in research, they should also be evaluated and then used for recommendations for politicians. In particular, the researchers are considering ways of countering mutual segregation and of allowing Muslim minorities to participate more in political and social processes.

"We do not, however, tell politicians what to," says Dietrich Reetz, "particularly not on the subject of whether wearing headscarves should be forbidden or allowed. We can, however, explain the consequences political decisions may have and what should be considered before implementing anything new."

Volker Thomas

© Goethe Institute 2006

Translation: Mary Boyd

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