A Religious Muslim Monologue
By Bashy Quraishy**
Chairman — European Network Against Racism
In this age of misleading information, Islamophobic hysteria, and the widening gap between Muslim communities and European majorities, every effort to start a useful dialogue to narrow differences must be appreciated. After all, Muslim communities in the diverse countries of Europe are now an integral part of these societies and in time their presence and thus their influence will increase.
Influence, as we all know, often results in the attainment of civil and political rights, which are followed by responsibilities. However, ethnic and religious minorities in Europe often end up attaining rights which are only on paper, while society constantly demands of them to fulfil their responsibilities. Little attention is paid to the fact that it is very hard for minorities to live up to the demands for integration while they are not given the possibility to properly function in society and while the barriers which hinder mutual integration are not removed.
Muslims groups in today's Europe have come to a point where their presence is not only viewed with suspicion but they are also increasingly made to feel unwelcome. In short, they are slowly but surely being pushed towards the periphery of their societies. They feel marginalized, isolated and under siege. Recent polls by the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) and Euro-barometer have shown that in the eyes of the majority of Europeans, Islam is violent, primitive and incompatible with modern times. Terrorist attacks in the USA and Europe as well as the controversy regarding the insulting caricatures of Prophet Mohammad in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten in September 2005, have made the atmosphere even more poisonous.
A Superficial Glance
It is in this light that the latest effort by the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE) and some other European Muslim organizations to formulate a charter should be seen. According to the initiative takers, the aim of the charter is to enhance the role of Muslims in benefiting European societies and to help build bridges with the rest of the Muslim world.
Looking at the charter with a superficial glance, one can confirm that it is very timely, necessary, useful and broadly aimed. Conveyed with sincerity and hard work, it will certainly make a huge difference in the way Muslim groups are viewed today and in their chances of engaging European societies. But, taking a closer look at the charter, it becomes clear that the document has been put together in haste and is thus confusing in its language, formulations, and goals.
The six-page document is divided into two sections: an introduction, a rationale and articles in the first section, and a description of the presence of Muslims in Europe, citizenship, and Islam's contribution to European civilization in the second.
If I were a European looking for dialogue with the Muslim communities living in my neighborhood, I would be hard pressed to find anything useful in this charter. It seems that it has been formulated by religious Muslims for Muslims in Europe, without keeping in mind the real requirements. It is more like a self-complimentary monologue that contains very few proposals for dialogue.
Basis of Criticism
One might ask on what arguments I am basing my criticism. Well, there are several:
Contrary to the claim this charter makes, Muslims are not one community. They are a potpourri of very different cultures, geographical backgrounds, languages, histories, customs, and even ways of practicing Islam. Lumping them together into one community with a distinct identity is not only misleading but also dangerous. Most European societies are monocultural and anyone wishing to stand out would not attract a positive response.
The Charter takes the position that Muslims share common values and principles. Here again, it does not take in to consideration the real diversity. The Charter also does not explain what those values and principles are. Today, there are 60 countries that profess to be Muslim. Yes, traditionally Muslims all over the world believe in the same God, Prophet, Qur'an and five tenants of faith. But here the commonality ends. Eighty-five percent of Muslims, especially those who live in the West, are not practising. The nature of their presence in Europe is not cultural but socio-economic. They did not come to Europe as cultural ambassadors or missionaries but as unskilled guest workers.
The understanding of Islam is not the same among all Muslims in Europe. It varies from person to person and from group to group. For example, the majority of Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Turkey and Somalia do not read Arabic, nor do they have any contact with each other. They even pray in separate mosques, socialize with their own ethnic group, and marry among their country fellows. What the common and shared values are between a Pakistani professor teaching at Oxford University and an imam leading prayers in a small town in the UK midlands is anyone's guess. They do come from the same country but their social and educational backgrounds are different. This difference plays an important role in their relationship with their common religion — Islam — and also shapes their identity.
Interaction with the majority society can only succeed when a common people — those with an ethnic minority background and those with majority affiliation — have the possibility to share a common space: at work, in the neighborhood, in educational institutions, during leisure, and in day-to-day socialization. In such meetings, emphasis is not on religion or culture but on an individual's contributions, and a willingness to adopt makes a difference. Most Europeans do want to interact with ethnic and religious minorities, including Muslim communities. The problem arises when possibilities to do so become scarce. It goes without saying that barriers are found on both sides.
The Charter talks about the European Muslim organizations that have formulated the document. But who are these organizations? There are 16 million people with a Muslim background, coming from 60 different countries, and I doubt very much that these organizations possess the moral or legal mandate to speak on behalf of this supposed Muslim Ummah.
Very few Europeans are interested in the virtues of Islam or how the Qur'an and Hadith can be a guide for a person's daily life. They are only interested in peaceful coexistence. The Charter is totally silent on what Muslims should do to actively be part of the society they live in. No solution is offered as to how to move forward on the path of dialogue. Dialogue requires respect and acceptance from both sides. This is lacking, and one would expect that a broad charter would tackle this issue.
I suggest that the emphasis of the charter be on a mutually negotiated relationship between European societies and their diverse Muslim communities, individuals, and groups. A declaration of good intent from a few intellectuals among 16 million Muslims is not enough. The charter must be broad-based and inclusive, not narrow and exclusive.
** Bashy Quraishy is the chairman of the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) in Belgium. He is also a member of the EU Commission's High Level Group on Integration in Belgium and the editor in chief of Media Watch Magazine in Copenhagen,Denmark.