Localizing Islam in Europe - (Religion and Politics) by Ahmet Yükleyen (Hardcover)

About the Book

An in-depth look at how various Islamic communities, from moderate to revolutionary, localize Islam by negotiating between the changing concerns of the Muslims and the expectations of the state in Western Europe.

Book Synopsis

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.

Yükleyen compares five different 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. Yükleyen'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.

Review Quotes

A compelling and important contribution to our understanding of Islam in Europe.-- "Esra Özyürek, editor of The Politics of Public Memory in Turkey"

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"

About the Author

Ahmet Yükleyen 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.