Participation of Muslim Minorities in the Spanish Mainstream Society

Abstract

This chapter explores the issues that the Muslim communities face to achieve full participation in society. It addresses the normative framework regarding the protection of religious freedom and religion minorities. The chapter points out the main difficulties in order to achieve an effective participation of persons belonging to Muslims minorities in the economic and social life. It refers to the shortcomings of the Cooperation Agreement signed between the Spanish state and the Islamic Commission of Spain. The chapter emphasizes that there is an institutional lack of sensitivity to the cultural background and specific needs of the Muslims population in the public sphere. An example is the rejection of veiled Muslim women in educational institutions. They use the veil as a symbol or part of their own identity while education authorities believe that the veil does nothing to do with Muslim identity and it is a sign of oppression of women. Keywords:cooperation agreement; Muslim communities; Muslim identity; Muslim women; religious freedom; Spanish mainstream society