Islam in the West after Post-9/11: Radicalization or Integration?

Professor Jocelyne CesariCGIS South 1737 Cambridge Street

Room 020Monday 5:30-7:30 (Fall 2010)

Islam as a Threat?

Protesters assemble near Ground Zero in protest of a major Islamic Center planned to be built 600 feet from the site. Sign reads:

“A mosque at ground zero spits on the graves of 9/11 victims. Stand up America!”

Source: Google Images, www.boston.com/bostonglobe

Right-wing conservative poster campaign supporting the Swiss minaret ban in 2009. The ban

illustrates the growing Islamophobia in Europe.

Source: www.muslimmatters.org

Islam as a Threat?

• When did Islam stop to be a Religion?• Cultural Talk (Mamdani)

Poster campaign against the minaret ban in Switzerland in 2009.

It features major Christian monuments without their key parts to show what mosques would be

without minarets. Reads:“Stop the Madness, Vote NO”

Source: www.libertereligieuse.ch, www.printmag.com

Protesters in NYC supporting the mosque that is

planned to be built near ground zero.Source: www.msnbc.com

Islam in Western Democracies

Key Issues:• Immigration• Ethnicity• Race• Religion• Class

Immigration, Race, Ethnicity, Class and Religion

• Muslims have an immigrant origin

There is No Systematic Overlap in the U.S. Between Immigration and Muslim

• Only 1.2 million of the 15.5 million immigrants entering the U.S. between 1989 and 2004 came from predominantly Muslim countries

• Legal immigration from predominantly Muslim countries dropped sharply after 2002 (from more than 100,000 per year to approximately 60,000 in 2003) before recovering a bit to 90,000 in 2004

• Immigration and issues of Islam and terrorism are not systematically correlated in the U.S. as they are in Europe

Immigration, Race, Ethnicity, Class and Religion

• Muslims are the under class of Europe

-The socio-economic condition of European Muslims is one of great fragility: Muslim unemployment rates consistently run higher than national averages: 31% and 24% for Moroccans and Turks respectively in the Netherlands. -This socio-economic marginality is often accompanied by residential segregation-A collusion occurs between ethnicity, religion, and poverty.

American Muslim Elite

• According to the Zogby Institute Poll, over half of American Muslims early at least $50,000 per year compared to a national average income of $43,000

• The U.S. census reports that 58% of American Muslims are college graduates compared to only 27% of the general population

Immigration, Race, Ethnicity, Class and Religion

• In each European country they belong to one dominant ethnic group

From Colonial to Postcolonial Migration

• From WWII to 1974

• From 1979 to 2001

Race, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism

• Political representation

Rachida Dati (born 1965)France

Sadiq Khan (born 1970)UK

Cez Ozdemir (born 1965)Germany

Race, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism

• Anti Discrimination laws

In Britain:1965 Race Relations Act1976 Race Relations Act2006 Racial and Religious Hatred Act

Islam vs Secularism

• Religious freedom (Hijab)

Islam vs Secularism

• Religious conviction (Cartoons crisis)

London, UK Dusseldorf, Germany

Islam vs Secularism

• Shari’a debate

Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips(born 1938)

The Shari’a Council of Britain

Archbishop Rowan Williams (born 1950)

Course Requirements• Each Student is Expected to:

– Read materials before each class and participate actively in the discussion during class. Required readings are accessible on the course website.*

– Write two short essays (due October 25 and November 29) on topics and readings covered in previous classes

– Write a final paper (15-20 pages) on the topic of his/her choice (due December 20)

• Grading:– 20% Class Participiation/Attendance– 35% Short Essays– 45% Final Paper

*See Syllabus for list of required readings *See Syllabus for list of required readings