engleski

Ethnic and Cultural Identity of Muslim Immigrants in Western Europe

The most common outcome of migration, regardless of its initial characteristics and the real nature of the phenomenon, is the settlement of a large number of migrants and the formation of ethnic minorities, or ethnic communities in the new country. Contemporary migration of Muslim populations to Western Europe, often closely connected to the colonial presence of Western powers in Islamic countries, has resulted in Muslim ethnic colonies which find themselves in the cleft between the Western European practice of racial and, increasingly, cultural discrimination, and a certain general belief in the West in the traditions of liberalism, pluralism, democracy and tolerance. Inspite of the fact that Muslims in Western Europe constitute a microcosm of ethnic, linguistic and other varieties existing in the Islamic world, yet, there is evidence of an emergent ethnic identity defined as Muslim among them, as a response to the need for self-identification within the context of the European societies, that may transcend their ethnic/national/ and other divisions. The paper pertains to some factors of Muslim immigrants' life in Europe (albeit only in a sketched form) that have contributed to the above development, namely, to a situation where religion (Islam) - as an important component of the identity - under adverse circumstances (e.g. a minority position) assumes an 'ethnic' profile.

migration; Western Europe; ethnic minorities; Muslim populations; Islam; ethnic identity

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