Muslims in Ireland - by Oliver Scharbrodt & Tuula Sakaranaho & Adil Hussain Khan & Yafa Shanneik & Vivian Ibrahim (Paperback)

About the Book

The first complete study of a little-known Muslim presence in Europe.

Book Synopsis

Since 9/11, the interest in Muslims in Europe has increased significantly. There has been much public debate and academic research focused on Muslims living in larger Western European countries like Britain, France or Germany, but little is known of Muslims in Ireland. This book fills this gap, providing a complete study of this unexplored Muslim presence, from the arrival of the first Muslim resident in Cork, in the southwest of Ireland, in 1784 until mass immigration to the Republic of Ireland during the 'Celtic Tiger' period from the mid-1990s onwards. Muslim immigration and settlement in Ireland is very recent, and poses new challenges to a society that has perceived itself as religiously and culturally homogeneous. Ireland is also one of the least secular societies in Europe, providing a different context for Muslims seeking recognition by state and society. This book is essential for anyone who wants to understand the diversity of Muslim presences across Europe.

From the Back Cover

'Set on the margins of Europe, Ireland is different - and this extends to its Muslim communities. In this first full-scale account the authors present a middle-class, professional community, of immigrant origin certainly but more reminiscent of the situation in the US than in Europe. This is a valuable new perspective on the subject of Islam in Europe.' Jørgen S. Nielsen, University of Copenhagen The first complete study of a little-known Muslim presence in Europe Since 9/11, interest in Muslims in Europe has increased significantly. There has been much public debate and academic research focused on Muslims living in larger Western European countries like Britain, France or Germany, but little is known of Muslims in Ireland. This book fills this gap, providing a complete study of this unexplored Muslim presence, from the arrival of the first Muslim resident in Cork in 1784 up to the mass immigration to the Republic of Ireland during the 'Celtic Tiger' period from the mid-1990s onwards. Muslim immigration and settlement in Ireland is very recent, and poses new challenges to a society that has perceived itself as religiously and culturally homogeneous. Ireland is also one of the least secular societies in Europe, providing a different context for Muslims seeking recognition by state and society. This book is essential for anyone who wants to understand the diversity of Muslim presences across Europe. Key Features - Makes an important and original contribution to understanding the diversity of Muslim presences in different national contexts across Europe - Combines historical, sociological and ethnographic research methods to provide a rich and multi-faceted study of the Muslim presence in Ireland in its historical and contemporary dimensions - Provides insights into the dynamics of interaction between Muslims and state and society in one of the least secular societies in Europe - Illustrates the central role European networks of the Muslim Brotherhood have played in organising and representing Muslim communities in Europe, with Ireland being a prime example Oliver Scharbrodt is Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Chester. Tuula Sakaranaho is Professor of Study of Religions at the University of Helsinki. Adil Hussain Khan is Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies at Loyola University, New Orleans. Yafa Shanneik is Research Fellow at the Study of Religions Department, University College Cork. Vivian Ibrahim is Croft Assistant Professor of History and International Studies at the University of Mississippi. Cover image: S H Bean - Galtee Mountains, Ireland 2013 www.shbeanphotographer.com Cover design: [EUP logo] www.euppublishing.com

Review Quotes

'A comprehensive analysis of the Muslim experience in Ireland by combining historical, sociological, political, and ethnographic research approaches to better understand this complex topic.'--J. Christopher Soper, Pepperdine University "Journal of Muslims in Europe"

A very helpful book to start to flesh out the reality of the Muslim communities in Ireland... For those of us who are part of a religious minority, looking at how Ireland engages with a new religious minority helps us to understand better our own context.'- Stephen Skuce, Irish Methodist Newsletter--Stephen Skuce, Director of Scholarship, Research and Innovation, The British Methodist Church "Irish Methodist Newsletter"

Set on the margins of Europe, Ireland is different - and this extends to its Muslim communities. In this first full-scale account the authors present a middle-class, professional community, of immigrant origin certainly but more reminiscent of the situation in the US than in Europe. This is a valuable new perspective on the subject of Islam in Europe.-- "Jørgen S. Nielsen, University of Copenhagen"

About the Author

Oliver Scharbrodt is Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Chester. He is the author of Islam and the Baha'i Faith (2008) and editor of the Yearbook of Muslims in Europe.

Tuula Sakaranaho is Professor of Study of Religions at the University of Helsinki. She has published on Muslims in contemporary society and is the author of Religious Freedom, Multiculturalism, Islam: Cross-reading Finland and Ireland (2006).

Adil Hussain Khan is Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies at Loyola University, New Orleans. He is author of From Sufism to Ahmadiyya: A Muslim Minority Movement in South Asia (2015).

Yafa Shanneik is Research Fellow at the Study of Religions Department, University College Cork. She has published a number of articles on Muslim women in Ireland.