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Daring to Be European Muslims*
(Part
2)
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By H.A. Hellyer**
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Feb.
21, 2006
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Integralization:
The Stakes for Europeans
This
is how "Islamophobia" links into the question of hijrah,
as noted in part
1. How, then, does "integralization" link into the
same question?
As
indicated in the first part of this article, Islamophobia exists,
but unless one believes that Europeans are hereditarily distrusting
of Islam, there needs to be a bit of an exploration. The
representation that Islam receives in European countries reveals
either a severely well informed, media-savvy conspiracy that is bent
on lying about Islam, or a population who do not know what they are
talking about.
Either
way (and credence is to be given to the latter rather than the
former), the portrayal of Islam as some sort of superior national
identity will likely prolong the existence of this erroneous view. A
novel form of `asabiya (partisanship) combined with ta`sub
(prejudice) may be emotionally satisfying and psychologically
gratifying, but it does not come without a price, nor without
consequence.
As
many have noted, it used to be the case that Western Islam was
thought of as being inexorable (that is, that Western Muslim
communities were here to stay, no matter what). That can no longer
be relied upon on, ignoring the possibility, as did the Jews of
Europe in the Holocaust, and the Bosnian Muslims in Bosnia, that
prejudice and bigotry might mutate into something far worse, a
deepening of Islamophobia, and the possibility of the destruction of
Muslim communities by demographic majorities who, for whatever
reason, fear the "infidel" in their midst.
Nevertheless,
at present there is no need to call for alarm, for in the countries
of the European Union, under the rule of law, such persecution is
not permitted. Although certain neighborhoods may be rather
difficult, European societies as wholes are remarkably tolerant
(owed in no small part to secularism, the only way that pluralism
could come to exist in much of Europe).
Muslim
communities today should be in a state of thankfulness in Europe, and not underestimate the value of living here.
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Classical
Muslim communities exhibited great forbearance under far more
desperate circumstances; Muslim communities today should be in a
state of thankfulness in Europe, and not underestimate the value of living here. Despite residing
in much more arduous conditions, classical Muslim communities were
also more prone to unwearyingly probe themselves about difficulties
of their own making, something that some sections of some Muslim
communities today are not so inclined to do. On the flip side, the
efforts of some non-Muslims to exhibit regrettable bigotry under the
fig leaf of "intellectual enquiry" needs to be challenged
by any European concerned about the future of Europe.
Nevertheless,
the failure of Muslims to probe themselves and exhibit themselves as
intrinsic to European societies continues to frustrate both Muslim
communities, who look for a productive and relevant image of Islam,
as well as non-Muslim communities. Reactionary political movements
among the latter frequently abuse the representation of a Muslim
community seeking economic benefit without contribution to society
as a whole to further their extremist political agendas, although
this is more often than not a diversion from the real issue of
deciding what it truly means to be a "European."
The
root of hatred is fear, and it is common for human beings to fear
what they do not know and do not understand.
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The
root of hatred is fear, and it is common for human beings to fear
what they do not know and do not understand; something Europeans
have learned in Europe
many times over, but cannot quite seem to grasp. Something that is
known and understood, if it is worthwhile on its own two feet, will
not be hated and demonized by the masses, although there will always
be people who for various reasons reject certain realities. Such is
the nature of things, but this is not, by and large, the predominant
disposition of any people, let alone those who have opened their
countries' doors to refugees, who expend great amounts in charity
across the world and continue to mobilize for causes that have no
direct relevance to them. 
Integralization:
Past, Present, and Future?
Throughout
history, Muslim communities have faced the challenge of living as
"minorities" in the following way, acting as the
embodiment of the collective human personality formed by Islam in
such lands and of such lands. At the dawn of their existence as a
Chinese Muslim community, the Muslims of China , in the face of an
overwhelmingly more difficult situation, had far fewer numbers and
far fewer resources than today's European Muslim communities. . Yet
within a few generations, the Muslims of China were quite literally
running the economy, having become not integrated, nor assimilated,
but integral to the country, to the point that Islam was recognized
as one of the great religions of the empire. They met the non-Muslim
Chinese with words they understood, rather than introduce themselves
as foreign fifth columns that had no concern for them or their
contexts, becoming Chinese in the process but remaining Muslim to
this day.[1]
This
was the same elsewhere as well, regardless of whether the Muslim
presence had political sovereignty (as it did in Egypt) or not (as in
China); in all places, the Muslims "went native." The glorious
civilization of Al-Andalus (Andalusia) was not an "Arabian
seed" planted in Europe, but rather a fresh, beautiful, and new culture of its own. The
same is true all over the Maghreb, the Fertile Crescent, Turkey, sub-Saharan Africa,
Indonesia, India, and all the lands where Muslims went. All became attached to the
land and formed new cultures with the inhabitants, filtering out the
"chaff" from the "wheat" using Islam,[2]
as per the historical pattern of Muslims.
The
alternative is to constantly insist with deeds and words that
Muslims are no more than an artificial implant in these lands from
somewhere else. For decades, despite having huge numbers at their
disposal, the Muslims in various countries of the European Union
have been stereotyped as "Pakistani," "Arab,"
and "Turkish," among other ethnicities to the point where
if a non-Muslim embraces Islam, he is spoken of as "turning
Turk" (historically the phrase used when a European Christian
became Muslim) or "becoming a Paki."
In
our times, where the new dynamic of the European Union has deeply
affected the sense of "self" among Europeans, such
perceptions are none too helpful. In the face of phenomenal changes
to their societies, resulting from European integration, modernity,
and so forth, Europeans currently find themselves in a crisis of
identity that is continually exploited by xenophobes on the far
right. Instead of confronting that problem on a fundamental
level, taking into account the new dynamics, some are simply using
the "Muslim other" as an excuse to escape answering the
true conundrum of defining what it is to be "European."
The left wing is seen as hammering the deathblows into the coffin of
the nation, under the pretext of respect and tolerance of
minorities; whereas the right wing prefers to ignore that national
identities need to be re-examined, as they always have been over the
centuries. The former respect Muslims, but only as the
"other." The latter reject Muslims, also as the
"other."
After
examining the destruction of tolerance in Dutch society in the
aftermath of Theo Van Gogh's murder and the subsequent attacks on
Muslim communities, Rod Liddle, in a recent issue of The
Spectator, notes that recent
study suggested that within six years at three large Dutch cities
will have an effective Muslim majority. There's also the nightmare
scenario of the Low Countries' caliphate … And all of this is aided and abetted by the European
Union, its liberal immigration laws, its espousal of
multiculturalism and, crucially, its implicit disavowal of the
concept of a sovereign nation state with a coherent national
identity. … How, then, do you attempt to inculcate a belief in
unity and nationhood among new citizens when the nation is withering
away in front of you?[3]
Liddle
may be raving against Islam and Muslims in his piece, but a key
point that he exploits, which many sectors of our European societies
feel vulnerable about, is the dissipation of the cohesion of society
and the nation. It is likely that the full weight of these
challenges lies not with the Muslim presence, but exists
independently of Muslims, who appear to be useful scapegoats and
excuses to escape the painful process of self-examination that
European societies must undergo. European societies have serious
issues to deal with relating to identity, and instead of facing
them, the reactionary sections among them prefer to deconstruct
those identities to an unsophisticated bastardization, vis-ŕ-vis
the "Muslim Other" and focus on that "other"
instead of re-evaluating themselves in the face of modernity.[4]
All
the same, if Muslims continue to appear to be encouraging the
damaging development of the dissipation of civil consciousness,
non-Muslims will continue to view them and their religion as
suspect. Even those sympathetic to Islam may not wish to
unnecessarily commit cultural apostasy at the best of times, and
indeed, should they have to?
"No
Muslim would deny that multiculturalism must always have some
limits,"[5] for then
"respect of diversity" falls into valueless and useless
cultural relativism. The Prophet may have allowed a large degree of
autonomy for Madinah Jews, but he unconditionally banned female
infanticide. The same principle is valid in the EU, and it is not
unjustified for European societies to expect a degree of cultural
assimilation from new citizens. How far that goes, however, is
forever being argued, in a discussion that European Muslims need to
engage in, as a community of purpose, bound to their ethical code.
A
Community of Purpose
As
the Maliki Fiqh Conference in Europe in the 1980s made clear, it
is incumbent (fard) for Muslims in Europe
to remain. This is clear from both classical Islamic jurists and
contemporary scholars such as Shaykh Al-Ghimari,[6]
the great Moroccan expert in Hadith (prophetic traditions). At the
same time, they are enjoined to adhere to the law of the land
(something that numerous authorities such as Abdullah Bin Bayyah in
the modern age, and classical authorities such as Ibn Qudama have
stated to be obligatory). This is not to negate the need for a
critical evaluation of European foreign policies, or the threats of
complete cultural destruction, for such assessments are necessary.
On the other hand, "wild denunciations of great Satans or
global Crusader conspiracies are, for Muslims here, not only
dangerous, but are also discourteous — scarcely a lesser
sin."[7]
This
all points to the implication that all Muslims should consider
themselves members of a community with a positive purpose, assisting
in the improvement of their societies in all ways available to them.
In the aftermath of September 11, Hamza Yusuf made the point to
Muslims, both privately and publicly, that if they could not be
law-abiding citizens, they were obliged, under the Shari`ah, to
migrate to a place where they could. For this, he was widely
criticized.
A
Community of Universal Mercy
In
these beautiful lands of Europe, there is certainly a plethora of opportunities at the disposal of
the Muslim community. The only question is, are they up to it?
There
are certainly problems in our societies in the "West."
September 11 gave the impetus (or excuse) for a great deal of
structural reshuffling to take place. Police states may not yet
exist, but we are closer to them than we were before. And Muslims
will likely bear the brunt of such measures, regardless of what
pundits and bureaucrats might claim.
Nevertheless,
now, as in previous centuries, European societies are in a state of
flux, with our values being constantly examined. A plethora of
European non-Muslims have struggled against the encroachment on
their liberties and freedom over the years, struggling with their
lives and their wealth to ensure that we might live free; where are
the the Muslims in this?
If
they stay on the sidelines of those debates, Muslims have no one to
blame but themselves if Islam itself stays on the sidelines.
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If
they stay on the sidelines of those debates, Muslims have no one to
blame but themselves if Islam itself stays on the sidelines, instead
of contributing to the discussion. If the "West" becomes
synonymous with the term "barbarism" in truth instead of
merely polemics, then part of the responsibility will be with the
millions of Muslims who reside in these lands and have not made the
necessary impact.
In
the midst of that picture, however, there is hope, for in Europe, civil society remains open to the contributions of its citizens.
The Prophet, an individual who understood his duty to the community,
lived among his people for more than 40 years, learning all their
dialects and communicating with them in their colloquial forms and
habits. When he sent Mu`adh to Yemen to meet ahl al-kitab (People of the Book), he advised him to
talk about the unity of God, for this was a common ground to start
from. This is how integralization, participation, contribution, and
involvement must take place: with an awareness of what is common and
what is different, what is essential and what is inherited culture.
Muslim
scholars are the ones who are qualified to give authoritative
opinions on what Islam does or does not stand for. For my own part,
it seems Islam in its pristine form is a message of al-`alammiyah
(universalization); a universal message of rahmah (mercy),
for the preponderant quality of God in Islam is mercy, the final
Prophet of whom was none other than mercy unto the worlds.[8]
(Part
1)
*
This article was originally published in two parts in Q-News
[Issues 362 (April 2005) and 363 (May 2005)], and republished here
with kind permission from the author.
**
Dr. H.A. Hellyer is a research consultant based as an
associate fellow at the University of Warwick, UK. With degrees in
law and international political economy, he read for his doctorate
at the University
of Warwick
under the supervision of Professor Muhammad Anwar, one of the most
prolific authors on Muslims in Europe. His research interests include European Muslim communities,
European social policy, political philosophy (multiculturalism,
integration, and citizenship), and the interplay between Islam and
modernity, including the rise of radical extremism.
He
has published widely, including chapters in a volume on Muslim
radical extremism (due to be released in 2006 by Brill) and a volume
called The State We are In: Identity, Terror and the Law of Jihad
(released by Amal Press in November 2005). In October 2006, IB
Tauris is due to publish his book titled The European Other:
Muslims and Islam in the European Union which examines the
position of European Muslim communities with regards to law, Muslim
jurisprudence (fiqh), history, and political philosophy. The
Guardian, Open-Democracy.net, IslamOnline.net, and the BBC have
sought his expertise in his field, and he has written for a number
of publications including The Independent, Q-News, and the Muslim
World Review.
[1]
Chinese Islam with its own unique characteristics, see http://www.islamonline.com/cgi-bin
/news_service/world_full_story.asp?service_id=1392
[2]
See `Umar Faruq `Abd-Allah's article, "Islam and the Cultural
Imperative," http://www.nawawi.org/downloads/article3.pdf.
[3]
Rod Liddle. "No Tolerance, Please, We're Dutch.' The
Spectator [London] 5 Feb 2005.
[4]
It should go without saying that different European societies have
different issues to work with, and that European societies are
unique in comparison to the USA, for example, where the issue of
immigration is not linked to Islam (unlike the EU).
[5]
Murad, Abdal Hakim. "Tradition or Extradition." See http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/ahm/TradorExtrad.htm.
[6]
I am indebted to Ustadh Abdullah Hamid Ali for his invaluable
translation of Shaykh Al-Ghimari's fatwa in this regard.
[7]
Murad, Abdal Hakim. "Tradition or Extradition." See http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/ahm/TradorExtrad.htm.
The point is also made that one of the duties of Muslims is to be
courteous and well-mannered, no less so in places where their
presence as a significant population is rather new.
[8]
I would like to thank those who commented on this article, the
responsibility of which remains mine, and the truth of it, should
there be any, lies predominantly with them.
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