Muslim Communities in the New Europe Edited by Gerd Nonneman, Tim Niblock, and Bogdan Szajkowski. Reading, England: Garnet Publishing Limited, 1996, 346 pp.

Abstract

Although Muslim Communities in the New Europe is long and complex, it is
not obscure, and each of its sixteen chapters can be read as a separate entity. The contributors are seventeen academics from universities in various countries of
Eastern and Western Europe, as well as the three editors who are based at three
English universities. A short preface is followed by the first chapter, which is
also the first part of the book, appropriately titled “Themes and Puzzles.” The
remaining chapters examine selected countries individually in Eastern and
Westem Europe in parts I1 and 111, respectively. Each chapter has helpful and
clear endnotes, and a useful index is also included. Tables analyzing the Muslim
populations in East European countries are given in chapter 2 and those of
Belgium and The Netherlands in chapter 10.
In the Preface, the book is described as the “final outcome of a three-year project”
to “produce a coherent comparative overview of. . . the role and position
of these Muslim communities.” The material was gathered from two international
conferences on the subject and from researchers throughout Europe.
Professor Gerd NoMeman modestly states: “This volume cannot claim to be
comprehensive, but. . . it is hoped that it may contribute to a better understanding
of the trends and dynamics involved, and provide the basis for further work.”
Chapter 1 outlines the events leadiig up to the present general situation in the
new Europe. The continent is divided into (1) Eastern Europe, where, after the
collapse of Communism at the end of the 1980s. strong nationalist and religious
feelings erupted; and (2) Western Europe, which, during a long economic recession,
absorbed a sudden large influx of migrants from African and Asian countries
suffering serious political and economic upheaval.
In parts I1 and 111 the contributors seek to answer a wide range of important
questions concerning the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims in
Europe generally and between Muslims and non-Muslim governments in particular.
How significant is the influence of history, the current economy, the origins
of the Muslims and the level of their adherence to Islam, local and central
government policies, local customs, international relations, public opinion, and
so on? How does the reaction of the younger generation of Muslims to their situation
compare with that of their parents? Throughout the studies of the selected
countries, the fear of the perceived loss of security and identity seems to be
at the root of action and reaction by both Muslims and non-Muslims. How far
can the minority and majority societies adapt to each other without either side
losing its identity and security? Possible solutions to the problems of integrating
Muslims into non-Muslim societies are suggested by some of the contributors.
Chapter 2 examines the links between religion and ethnicity in Eastern
Europe, where Islam has been “an indigenous presence for centuries.” Although
Islam is independent of race, color, and language, “around the fringes of the
Islamic world” it is the basis of the identity of certain groups within nationalities,
such as the Bosnian Muslims and Bulgarian Pomaks.
The contributors then tackle one of the puzzles, that of how to define ethnicity.
They descrike the current theories, which put varying emphasis on the
objective elements of kinship, physical appearance, culture, and language, and
the subjective elements, namely, the “feeling of community” and the “representations
which the group has of itself” (p. 28) ...