“Europe, though dominated by Christians and white complexions, has become increasingly multi-ethnic,” said Rawi.

CAIRO, April 4, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – The issue of integration is an overriding priority for the Muslim minorities in Europe which should strike a balance between their identity and the cultures of their new societies, a leading European Muslim activist said.

“Muslims in Europe cannot make a difference unless they wholeheartedly integrate into their new societies,” Ahmad Al-Rawi, Chairman of the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE), told IslamOnline.net Monday, April 4, over the phone from London.

“But they have to strike the right balance between their identity and their contributions to their society at all political, economic and cultural levels.”

He said that the 15 million Muslims in Europe “are part and parcel of their societies,” adding that the term “integration” has become the rallying cry for this juncture.

Al-Rawi said the issue is high on the agenda of an FIOE delegation attending an EU interfaith committee meeting later in the day.

“Brussels will also likely host a seminar on the recognition of Islam in Europe later this month,” he added.

The prominent Muslim activist said Europe is no longer a “mono-cultural” continent.

“Europe, though dominated by Christians and white complexions, has become increasingly multi-ethnic,” he noted.

“True that there are some countries that want Muslims to melt away into their pots, but there are others which boost positive integration.”

The Muslim activist, however, admitted that the integration process is not that easy and needs a great deal of persistence in view of incidents resurfacing every now and then, which tarnish the image of Islam.

He said the Netherlands, for instance, was one of the most receptive European countries to Muslims and used to spend millions every year on their organizations.

The government used to encourage Muslims to play a key role on the political spectrum, he added, recalling that 50 municipal members were Muslims.

“But the killing of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh at the hands of a mad boy has changed every thing and made Muslims there back to square one,” Rawi stressed.

“No doubt that we all as Muslims feel jealous for our religion and our Prophet (PBUH), but there are legal channels through which we can protest and not by such a barbaric way that did more harm than good to Islam.”

The Muslim activist offered a piece of advice to all Muslim minorities in the West: “Perform your duties before asking for your rights.”

“Muslims who abide by their religion should, by the same token, abide by the laws of their European countries,” he said.

“Integrate positively into your society, keep you non-Muslim fellows acquainted with the precious values of your religion, and I guarantee that your society will, sooner or later, warmly welcome you.”

On problems facing some Muslims in the Netherlands over refusing to shake hands with women, Rawi said such issues should not be given priority.

He said shaking women’s hands “is by no means a major sin but rather a minor one and a controversial issue on which scholars are divided.”

The Muslim activist asserted that refraining from handshaking is interpreted differently in European countries.

“Some countries see it as a sign of disrespect for women, and others, like Britain, understand it,” he said.

Rawi continued: “We should not give heed to such issues and should focus rather on important issues on which we should make no compromise, and this is our approach at international conferences like the Le Bourget conference in France.”

He recalled that the European Council for Fatwa and Research has issued several statements guiding Muslims on how they can adapt to the values of their Western societies and overcome problems like this.

Some Dutch Muslims have found themselves between a rock and a hard place over the issue of handshaking.

The Hague Municipality deprived last month a Muslim citizen of government social assistance after he refused to shake hands with a female civil servant.

The man tried in vain to justify his position as being purely religious and in no way derogatory.

His lawyer defended him as a victim of racism, asserting that such a behavior was not deemed as disapproving before the November killing of Van Gogh.

Another Dutch Muslim, F. Aniat, could have faced the same punishment if it hand not been for the staunch defense of his non-Muslim work colleagues, Rotterdam newspaper reported on Friday, April 1.

Aniat, who works for the council of social affairs in Rotterdam, was reprimanded by a legal committee for refusing to shake hands with two female members at Rotterdam municipality.

In his defense, Aniat said that the council should understand the cultures of Dutch citizens of different backgrounds.