Ahmed, Akbar. Journey into Europe: Islam, Immigration, and Identity. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2018.
Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: Despite disagreement among scholars over how precisely to define 'populism,' it remains a prevailing feature of European political dynamics, as evidenced by the rise of the right wing National Rally party under Marine Le Pen in France, the Brexit movement in the UK, the rise of the AfD (Alternative für Deutschland) in Germany, the landslide re-election of the socially conservative "Eurosceptic" Viktor Orbán in Hungary, the merger of the left and right populist parties and the Five Star Movement in Italy, and the policies of Andrzej Duda and his government in Poland, all of which have engendered far right, anti-immigration tendencies throughout the continent.The fragility of the EU and the steady erosion of the liberal democratic order of Europe is an ominous trend that is shaking the foundations of Western politics.One of the central factors driving these populist movements is the immigration of Muslims from the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa into Europe.These Muslim migrants are associated with terrorist incidents in some European countries and elsewhere.Some Europeans also view Islamic culture and civilization as incompatible with the Christian and the Western liberal democratic ideals of their own society. 1 The most recent work by internationally known poet, playwright, filmmaker, and anthropologist Akbar Ahmed, 2 Journey into Europe: Islam, Immigration, and Identity, explores the relationship and friction between Islam and Europe in an in-depth investigation carried out by Ahmed and his assembled team of anthropologists.For several years between 2013 and 2017, the team conducted multi-site ethnographic research in some fifty cities and towns in Europe, interviewing a broad cross-section of people in various socioeconomic strata and age groups, including scholars, students, and religious officials such as chief rabbis, grand muftis, and the former archbishop of Canterbury.Various presidents, prime ministers, members of Parliament, and other politicians, including members of the Far Rightist parties that demonize Muslims, were also interviewed.The team conducted research in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Italy, countries within which Muslim empires once existed; in Denmark and Germany, countries with deep tribal roots and to which Muslims have been invited as guest workers; in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Greece, which claim indigenous Muslim populations; and in Scotland and Ireland, which once constituted part of the former British empire and which are currently revitalizing their nationalist and tribal identities, alongside Britain.The major theme of Journey into Europe is that Europeans are fundamentally divided regarding the Muslim presence in Europe.Although it appears that a majority of Europeans desire a plural society and accept the Muslim presence, a vocal minority expresses fear and are threatened by Islam.The book is divided into three parts.Part one investigates the interpretations of European identity based on its history and culture.On the one hand, Europe can be comprehended as a collective of multifarious countries formed on the bases of tribal or primordial identities, languages, blood lineages, and soil.On the other hand, European identity includes the pluralistic history of 'la Convivencia,' 3 meaning "the co-existence," referring to the historical period during which Jews, Christians, and Muslims coexisted and pursued knowledge, science, and humanistic endeavors together.Ahmed is careful not to romanticize the coexistence that developed in Spain, but he views it as an ideal paradigm for interfaith peace and cooperation.The second part of the book discusses the research findings of the team from the interviews with Muslim migrants, indigenous Muslims in various countries, and converts to Islam.The team also interviewed many Jews and investigated trends in anti-Semitism and the interrelationship
Author: Raymond Scupin
Institutions: Brookings Institution, Lindenwood University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4394944637