Changing parameters of citizenship and claims-making: Organized Islam in European public spheres

Abstract

A significant outcome of the postwar labor migration has been Europe's rediscovery of Islam. In response to a vitalization of religious associational life among immigrants, there has arisen a visible interest in Islam as an object of political and cultural curiosity and scientific inquiry. On the axis of Birmingham, Marseilles, and Berlin, the experience of Pakistani, Maghrebine, and Turkish migration reveals the contours of Muslim community formation within European democracies to researchers, politicians, and the public. At issue is the compatibility of Islam its organizational culture and practice with European categories of democratic participation and citizenship. Formations of Islamic community are identified as either a divisive, anti-democratic threat or a contribution to the political and cultural plurality of Europe.