The Limits of Religious Freedom Laws in Democratic Spain & Portugal in Light of Contemporary Immigration

Jared D. Larson

Membro integrado, Centro de Estudos Geográficos, Universidade de LisboaPh.D. Candidate, University of Delaware, Political Science & Int’l Relations

Investigador Asociado, Instituto Galego de Análise e Documentación Int’l

16th International Metropolis Conference

Ponta Delgada, Açores, 12-16 Sept. 2011

Introductory Outline

• Situating the Paper

• Political Science & Migration Studies

• Democratic Transition & Religious Liberty

• Case Studies: Practical Gaps in Iberia

• Concluding Thoughts

I. Situating the Paper: ContemporaryMigration to Spain and Portugal

• Why are public opinions in Spain & Portugal the least negative in Europe toward immigration?• DV: Public Opinion

• IVs: Visibility, Perception of Threat, Elite Signals

• Contextual Variables: Democratic & Migration transitions

• Presently: examine connections between religious liberty & immigration policy via poli sci theory

• Neither likely without democracy, both overlooked

II. Political Science & Migration Studies:Gap & Convergence Theories

• Migration: Ignored by Political Scientists

• Multidisciplinarity: Political Dimension Ignored

• Descriptive, A-Theoretical Work, “Seat of the Pants” Interpretations

• Poli Sci Should Contribute Research Agenda, Move Past Fascination with Radical Right• Freeman (2005), “Political Science and Comparative

Immigration Politics”

II. Political Science & Migration Studies:Gap & Convergence Theories (Cont.)

• International Political Economy (Interests)• Conflict (or not): Concentration of Costs & Benefits

• Ex: Modernization without Major Industrial Age

• Embedded Liberalism & Individual Rights• Political Modernization

• Ex: Escaping Authoritarian Past

• Institutionalism• Internal & External Pressures on Policy Making

• Ex: Military, Civil Society, Parties, European Union

II. Political Science & Migration Studies:Gap & Convergence Theories (Cont.)

• Gap Hypothesis (Cornelius & Tsuda 2004)• Imperfect Policy leads to Unintended Consequences

• Migration Flows uncontrolled

• Inadequate Implementation & Enforcement

• Do not work: Guestworkers, Border Enforcement, Int’l Aid/“Economic Step” (Moré 2004)

• Poorly Addressed: Labor Shortage (Absolute & Relative) and Demand (Corkill 2001), Labor Laws

• Violations Ignored, Intentions Ambiguous

II. Political Science & Migration Studies:Gap & Convergence Theories (Cont.)

• Convergence Hypothesis (Cornelius & Tsuda)• Migration Policies Resemble Each Other

• No Deviant Cases

• Consistent with Modernization Theory• Parallel Development• Regional Integration• Global Events & Geopolitics• Politicians Take Advantage, Shape Debate

III. Democratic Transition & Religious Liberty (Context)

• Typology of Church-State Relations• Religious monopoly (Saudi Arabia)• Religious corporatism (UK)• Separation with Cooperation (Spain)• Separation without Cooperation (USA)• Non-existent (France)

De la Hera (2007) & Klausen (2009)

III. Democratic Transition & Religious Liberty (Context, cont.)

• Parallels to migration policy?• Historical & social pressures matter

Zolberg (1989); de la Hera (2007: 69)

• Similarities throughout Europe regarding religious freedom; social & religious organization

Gould (2009: 58)

• Despite variations, religious pluralism drives policy; outcomes not always predictable

Klausen (2009: 294)

III. Democratic Transition & Religious Liberty (Portugal)

• Liberalism at Work: 25 April 1974 need for new legal framework regarding religion• Earlier laws discriminated, perpetuated inequality

• Non-Catholics Distrusted (colonial wars)

• Constitution & 2001 Law of Religious Liberty, Products of Institutional Influence (UN Dec of HR)

• Religious Freedom for Individuals & Communities• de Sousa e Brito (2007), “A Lei da Liberdade Religiosa:

necessidade, características e consequências”

III. Democratic Transition & Religious Liberty (Spain)

• Liberalism Again: Constitution of 1978• Earlier constitutions of varying stripes (1812, 1931)

• 20th Cent. Concordats Favored Catholic Church

• 1978 Constitution: positive, non-Hierarchical view of religion; liberty, equality, non-descrimination• Art. 16.1: Freedom of ideology, religion and worship

• Art. 16.3: “No religion shall have state character, but the public authorities shall take into account the religious beliefs of Spanish society and shall consequently maintain appropriate cooperative relations with the Catholic Church and other confessions.”

III. Democratic Transition & Religious Liberty (Spain)

• “Separation with Cooperation”/Institutionalism• 1980 Organic Law of Religious Liberty

• Develop & foster other faiths

• Strengthen religious pluralism

• Establish framework for institutional cooperation

• Pacts with most religious groups

• Survived changes of Government

IV. Case Study (I): Religion anda Practical Gap in Portugal

• Slow march to religious equality (‘71,‘75,’76,’01)

• Preference for Catholic Church? Concordat 2004

• Comunidade Islâmica de Lisboa, 1968

• Fall of Regime brings Muslims from Colonies

• Centro Islâmico de Portugal, 1976

• Central Mosque of Lisbon: 1966, 1978, 1985

IV. Case Study (II): Religion anda Practical Gap in Spain

• Muslims, Increasingly Influential Group• 1,000,000+ People

• Mostly in Madrid and Barcelona

• 800,000 of Moroccan Origin

• 25,000-50,000 muladíes, Spanish Converts

• 450 Recognized Mosques• 100’s Waiting Recognition

• 200 “illegal” Mosques and Prayer Rooms

• 100’s Operating out of Garages, Flats, Store Fronts

IV. Case Study (II): Religion anda Practical Gap in Spain

• Problems with Institutionalization• Single interlocutor necessary for Spanish State

(Registro de Entidades Religiosas)

• Interference for Many Muslims

• Led to Rupture within Muslim Community, hardly monolithic to begin with

• Comisión Islámica de España (Feb. 1992) forms from Fragments of Other Groups (FERRI, UCIDE)

IV. Case Study (II): Religion anda Practical Gap in Spain

• Comisión Islámica de España Signs Agreement with Spanish Government in April 1992• Framework to address needs of those electorally

underrepresented

• Legitimacy Immediately Questioned

• Did not Represent Local Concerns, intensified

• Disunity within CIE is major obstacle

• Many Call for New Agreement, a dead letter?

IV. Case Study (II): Religion anda Practical Gap in Spain

• CIE, Agreement, Problems, cont.• State Treated Agreement as the End of Integration

• Poor “religious infrastructure”

• Most Muslims have arrived since 1992• Agreement favors converts & most-integrated

• Government bureaucracy, fosters inertia

• FERRI/UCIDE appeal to liberal democratic tenetsLaurance 2009; Arigita 2006; Zapata-Barrero 2006; Chaib 2005; Escobar Stemmann 2008

IV. Case Study (II): Religion anda Practical Gap in Spain

• Possible remedies?• Clearer, more realistic objectives

• Pro-active debate & dialogue

• More State-sponsored socialization projects

• Move past FERRI vs UCIDE split

• A geographical base, individual mosques adhere?Amérigo 2007; López García & Planet 2002; Mantecón Sánchez 2001

V. Conclusions: Gap & Convergence in Religion & Migration in Southern Europe

• Contemporary Immigration tests religion laws• Migration unforeseen, limits of religion as well

• Past experience with Islam in Iberia a positive?• An Iberian exception? (Jahanbegloo 2007)

• A story of animosity? (Encarnación 2004)

• Both, but latter is the norm (Zapata-Barrero 2006)

• Past experience with religious corporatism a plus?

• Low political polarization over religion…?Laurence 2009; Gould 2009

V. Conclusions: Gap & Convergence in Religion & Migration in Southern Europe

• IPE: Costs & Interests, Disperse & Concentrated• Interests Dispersed, Costs Concentrated (Catholic

Church)

• Liberalism: Path-dependency toward Freedoms• Authoritarianism to Democracy

• Catholicism to Pluralism

• Institutionalism: Pressure, distributors of values• UN, Int’l Norms, Historical Context

V. Conclusions: Gap & Convergence in Religion & Migration in Southern Europe

• Religious “Liberal Paradox”• Fear of unemployment, creation of NGO’s to

support immigrants

• Codified religious pluralism, protest against veil & mosque construction

• Governments “secular”, then accuse Islam of terrorism, attacking Christendom

Abumalham 2007

V. Conclusions: Gap & Convergence in Religion & Migration in Southern Europe

• Convergence Hypothesis: Pluralism• Religion: 20th Century History, 1970’s Realities• Less rigid than Immigration (UK - deviant case)

• Gap Theory: incomplete policy, ambiguity• Portugal: 2004 Concordat, “em beneficio dos

seus fiéis e da comunidade portuguesa en geral”• Spain: 1992 Agreement, Aznar rejection of

funding, Spain restricted by history

V. Conclusions: Gap & Convergence in Religion & Migration in Southern Europe

Thank you for your kind attention

http://www.ceg.ul.pt/migrare/PDFs/MigrarePaper05.pdf