In defining Muslim identity the widely held belief is that religion is the defining element. This is only partly true. Religion is only part of the picture, the normally secondary elements of class, gender and national belonging need to be examined. The issues of religion and identity formation can be explored thusly: differing concepts of religion and Islam should be considered to see how they have present particular frameworks. It is important to note that immigrants have identities other than those associated with their religion. These include ethnic, linguistic and national identities, the experiences of Muslims in France and Britain are contrasted to illustrate this point. The quantitative nature of population studies or census data answers only part of the question, additionally it must be asked, “If there is such a thing as Muslim identity how should it be defined?”
The desire to understand the formation of Muslim identity in Europe is at the center of this work. The history of Europe and the Muslim world has done much to influence the perception and experience of Muslims. To many, Europe fulfilled the prophecy of secular democracy as a stable and fixed point of reference to promote the transformation of other societies. We did not expect Europe to be transformed and shaped by its encounter with the issues related with Islam.
The experience of Muslims in Europe as guests in a host country does not help to frame the two-way change that is already underway, shaping both Muslims and Europeans, and reducing the differences between them. It is those social groups and generations that are in Europe, without hope for return, distanced from the national origins of their parents, shaped by new life experiences, languag...
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...ord Review of Education, 27, (4), 515-527.
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Islamic Spain can be seen as one of the only societies that has grasped the importance of synergy and placed this notion above the typical need for absolute control. It is here where adherents of three religions coexisted and thrived culturally, economically, and intellectually. Two works explain the history of Islamic Spain, one being a documentary by Gardner Films, Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain, and the other a book by Tamim Ansary called Destiny Disrupted: A History of The World Through Islamic Eyes. While both Ansary and Gardner Films explore the themes of Spain under Islamic rule, Gardner Films provides the viewer with a more thorough history of the region whereas Ansary remains brief and narrow with his narration. The documentary Cities of Light provides a view of Islamic Spain from its beginning to its very end. This documentary touches on every aspect of what life was like in Islamic Spain and the significance of the events that occurred there.
The documentary Young, Muslim and French highlights events that happened in France beginning in September 2004. The documentary takes us through the decision of France banning the traditional headscarves for the Muslims in public schools. The law is taken as an “Islamophobia” form of an expression. And is not considered democratic to the Islamic citizens. The documentary displays the frustrations, hopes, as well as political ambitions of the next generation of the French Muslims, people who were born as French citizens and who make explorations of their potentials to change the national identity of France.
Hilāl, ʻAlī Al-Dīn. Islamic Resurgence in the Arab World. New York, NY: Praeger, 1982. Print.
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Islam, a religion of people submitting to one God, seeking peace and a way of life without sin, is always misunderstood throughout the world. What some consider act of bigotry, others believe it to be the lack of education and wrong portrayal of events in media; however, one cannot not justify the so little knowledge that America and Americans have about Islam and Muslims. Historically there are have been myths, many attacks on Islam and much confusion between Islam as a religion and Middle Easter culture that is always associated with it. This paper is meant to dispel, or rather educate about the big issues that plague people’s minds with false ideas and this will only be touching the surface.
Rippin A. 1990, Muslims, Their Religious Beliefs and Practices Volume 1: The Formative Period, Routledge, London and New York.
Religion plays a large role in the acceptance and denial of countries applying for E.U. membership. Turkey has been the applicant with the greatest amount of difference between its predominant religion and that of most E.U. countries. Turkey’s government claims to be secular, but works to spread the Alevi form of the Muslim faith in its country. Turkey’s legislature also manages Islam in its country. Turkey is far more supportive of a particular church than any country in the E.U. This creates a glaring schism between Turkey and the rest of the EU, providing even more reason not to accept Turkey as a member state. The endorsement of the Alevi form of Islam in turn causes those of other faiths to be discriminated against. Turkish school children must attend schools where they have taught Islam and laws restricting forms of Islam other than Alevi are in effect in some locations in Turkey (The Economist 14). The roadblocks that these factors place in the way of Turkey’s acceptance into the E.U. are clear. The discrimination against minorities could keep Turk...
Orientalism as termed by Edward Said is meant to create awareness of a constellation of assumptions that are flawed and underlying Western attitudes towards the Muslim societies. Evidence from his 1978 book “Orientalism”, states that the culture has been of influence and marred with controversy in post colonial studies and other fields of study. Moreover, the scholarship is surrounded by somehow persistent and otherwise subtle prejudice of Eurocentric nature, which is against Islam religion and culture (Windschuttle, 1999). In his book, Said illustrates through arguments, that the long tradition in existence containing romanticized images of Islamic stronghold regions i.e. Middle East, and the Western culture have for a long time served as implicit justifications for the European and American Imperial ambitions. In light of this, Said denounced the practice of influential Arabs who contributed to the internalization of Arabic culture ideas by US and British orientalists. Thus, his hypothesis that Western scholarship on Muslim was historically flawed and essentially continues to misrepresent the reality of Muslim people. In lieu to this, Said quotes that, “So far as the United States seems to be concerned, it is only a slight overstatement to say that Muslims and Arabs are essentially seen as either oil suppliers or potential terrorists. Therefore, very few details such as human density, the passion of Arab-Muslim life has entered the awareness of even the people whose profession revolve around reporting of the Arab world. Due to this, we have instead a series of crude, essentialized caricatures of the Islamic world presented in such a way as to make that world vulnerable to military aggression” (Said, 1980).
The lack of knowledge about Muslims by non-Muslims has caused a dangerous and growing unease between the two groups. Therefore, it is important to research care...
Islamophobia has become a new topic of interest among social sciences, political leaders and media commentators. People amongst society have developed this phobia towards Islamic religion and people. It has become a novel “form of racism in Europe and American based on discrimination ...
G. Esposito, John L (2002) Islam; What Everyone Should Know. New York. Oxford University Press Inc.
Kenneth Jost. 2005. “Understanding Islam.” Annual Editions: Anthropology 11/12, 34th Edition. Elvio Angeloni. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.