Muslim Diasporas: An Examination of the Issues of the Second and Third Generation Muslims in Europe

Abstract

This article studies the issues of the emerging second and third generations of post-war Muslim migrants in Europe. There has always been some presence of Muslims in Europe, but immigrants who came in the post-Second World War (WWII) period represent the majority of today's Muslim diasporas in Europe. They are referred to as the ‘first generation’. This division is made to distinguish between those who had moved permanently to a country other than their country of birth, from the second/third-generation immigrants referring to those who were born in Europe. This article explores issues of second and third-generation Muslims in Europe, contrasting and comparing them with their parents’ experiences. Family socialisation has significant effects supporting the effective transmission of religious identification, belief and practices to the next generation. The younger generations may receive a ‘transmitted package of heritage’ from the first generation, but they are not born in a vacuum, rather are exposed to a different mainstream cultural identity coming from the media, non-Muslim (The term non-Muslim refers to anyone who does not define himself as belonging to or practising the Islamic faith.) friends and educational institutions in the new environments. They are not expected to be just passive recipients. They try to relate to both heritages and negotiate in such a way as to maintain relations with family and achieve full European citizenship. For the younger generations in Europe, greater contact and exchange between the races and cultures is the key towards the future even if it is contested within their own community.