Localizing Islam in Europe Turkish Islamic Communities in Germany and the Netherlands

Localizing Islam in Europe: Turkish Islamic Communities in Germany and the Netherlands By Ahmet Yükleyen
2012 | 304 Pages | ISBN: 0815650582 | PDF | 6 MB
In the twentieth century, Muslim minorities emerged in Europe seeking work, a refuge from conflict, and higher life standards. As a result, there are now more than 12 million Muslims in Western Europe. As these immigrants became permanent residents, the Islamic communities they developed had to respond to their European context, reinterpreting Islam in accordance with local conditions. In Localizing Islam in Europe, Yükleyen brings this adaptation to light, demonstrating how Islam and Europe have shaped one another and challenging the idea that Islamic beliefs are inherently antithetical to European secular, democratic, and pluralist values.Yûkleyen compares five different forms of religious communities among Muslim immigrants in the Netherlands and Germany that represent a spectrum from moderate to revolutionary Islamic opinions. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, he finds that, despite differences in goals and beliefs, these communities play an intermediary role, negotiating between the social and religious needs of Muslims and the socioeconomic, legal, and political context of Europe. Yûkleyen's rich ethnography shows that there is no single form of assimilated and privatized "European Islam" but rather Islamic communities and their interpretations and practices that localize Islam in Europe.Ahmet Yûkleyen is Croft Assistant Professor of Anthropology and International Studies at the University of Mississippi. His research focuses on anthropology of religion, ethnicity, Islamic movements, and multiculturalism."Despite challenges of the post 9/11 context, Yukleyen's rich ethnography shows that religion is a resource for integration not only by bonding among Muslims but also bridging activism with the larger society in Western Europe"-Jocelyne Cesari, Director of the Islam in the West Program, Harvard University and John Hopkins University"Ahmet Yukleyen's Localizing Islam in Europe cuts through the shrill debates to provide a rich and authoritative portrait of the lived reality of Muslims adapting to life in Europe. His insights will be invaluable for student, scholars, and policymakers alike."-Peter Mandaville, George Mason University, author of Global Political Islam"Ahmet Yükleyen provides a clear and convincing account of the different orientations of the major Turkish religious institutions in Germany and the Netherlands. All those interested in Islam in Europe today should read this book."-John R. Bowen, author of Can Islam Be French? Pluralism and Pragmatism in a Secularist State"A compelling and important contribution to our understanding of Islam in Europe."-Esra Özyürek, University of California, San Diego