Dialogue with Islam: Facing the Challenge of Muslim Integration in France,Netherlands,Germany

The aim of this paper is to contribute to a balanced and consistent EU policy on Muslim immigrants. In this paper, I will use the term ‘Islam policy’ for all governmental decisions in relation to Muslims and the religion of Islam. The paper emphasises that mosques are at the heart of the broad networks of Islamic organisations and that most of European Islam's religious and moral leaders are, at least so far, only marginally acquainted with Western culture. It pleads for creative and open approaches to the needs of both Muslims and society as a whole; for state cooperation with Islamic organisations; and for establishing schools of Islamic theology at European universities, staffed by Islamic theologians who can develop their thinking in a European context and communicate that to other imams. The paper also emphasises the need for realistic information about Islam and Muslims living in European societies.

Part 1 describes the main challenges facing Western Europe:

• •

  Islam does not fit into existing state–church arrangements.

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  Its religious obligations require more latitude than existing rules provide.

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  There is a lack of integration among a relatively high percentage of Muslims.

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  Both the concepts of Islam held by some citizens and Islamophobia pose problems.

Part 2 describes the policies of France, the Netherlands and Germany towards Islam against the background of their distinct laws and cultures.

The third part of the paper is devoted to a discussion of the following four central issues:

1. 1.

   separation of church and state;

2. 2.

   international relations and representativity of leadership;

3. 3.

   integration, social cohesion, Leitkultur and national identity;

4. 4.

   Islam and Western values.

Finally, Part 4 summarises the main challenges Islam poses and offers advice for setting policy in regard to Islam.