The construction of Islam as a public issue in western European countries through the prism of the Muhammad cartoons controversy

Abstract

This article aims to analyse the way in which the so-called Muhammad cartoons controversy was constructed as a public issue in France and in Germany. We study the reactions of different main actors participating in the definition of this event as a social problem, in particular the media, politicians and intellectuals, as well as Muslim organizations. We ask to what extent national contexts impact on the construction of the debates around religious pluralism and more widely around multiculturalism. The case of the cartoons controversy seems to illustrate a shift towards (re-)codifying migrants and minorities on the lines of culture and religion as the ‘Muslim other’, which coincides with the international debate on the antagonism between Islam and the western world. This may be interpreted as a sign of convergence. Still, national legacies shape these overlapping discourses on national identity, belonging, and valid norms and values.