Islam in Europe
| Essen has been hosting an international conference on Islam. Experts, scholars and
representatives of Islamic organizations from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France,
Turkey and Germany have been discussing the evolution, development, problems, recognition
and movements of Islam in Germany and the European Union. As revealed by an EU study, of
which the Center for Studies on Turkey in Essen is a leading partner, there are about 13
Million Muslims living within the European Union. Indeed, almost four percent of the total
372 million populations in the EU are Muslims who do or do not practice their religion.
Despite this demographic fact, concrete measures to meet the needs of the Muslims are not
taken at the EU level and only very insufficiently in individual member countries. It can
be observed that Islam and Islamic movements develop strongly particularly in three EU
countries. Islam is overwhelmingly represented by Muslim Indians and Pakistanis in
England, by Muslims from Maghreb countries in France and by Turks in Germany. Of the 2
million 700 thousand Muslims in Germany, 2.1 million are Turks, followed by 384 thousand
Bosnian Muslims, and therefore it is possible to talk of a Turkish Islam in this country. An interesting feature of Islam in Western Europe is that it has a recent history. Islam has become visible In western Europe through the labor migration process from the South. With the exception of 130 thousand Muslims living in Greece, the 13 million Muslims in western Europe are relative newcomers who have arrived in the last three to four decades. In other words, Islam has a history of about 40 years in western Europe. The conference on Islam in Essen is not only analyzing the structure and form of Islam in different EU countries, but will also discuss concrete measures that should be taken to meet the demands and needs of the Muslims, different forms of recognition of Islam, problems occurring as a result of the increasing visibility of Islam and the diversity of Islam in the European Union. In the light of these developments, a significant observation has been made by a German professor teaching at the University of Gottingen, Dr. Bassam Tibi, who is of Palestinian origin and one of the participants of the conference. Terming it "Euro Islam," Tibi defines Islam as experienced by immigrants in western Europe under three main headings. First of all, Islam recognizes and respects the laws and constitution of the host country. Secondly, Islam restructures and transforms itself in an industrial society. Thirdly, the Christian world feels obliged to recognize and accept the newly structured Islam in western Europe. Within the framework of their Report on Basic Principles, German social democrats have taken the first steps to recognize the presence and the needs of Islam in Germany. Although no Muslim country is a member of the European Union so far, Muslims almost the size of the Dutch population are living within the borders of the Union. Before the turn of the 20th century which is increasingly marked by clash of civilizations according to Samuel Huntington, to uncover the richness that Islam can and does contribute to Western Europe is the main aim of the conference in Essen, which would not only benefit Muslims living in the EU I believe, but the European Union itself as well. by
Professor Dr. Faruk Sen |