Contextualizing Islam in Europe and North America: Challenges and Opportunities the Brookings Project on U.S
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Contextualizing Islam in Europe and North America: Challenges and Opportunities The Brookings Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World U.S.-Islamic World Forum Papers 2014 April 2015 Peter Mandaville and Dilwar Hussain Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036 www.brookings.edu/islamic-world STEERING or the 11th annual U.S.-Islamic The opinions reflected in the papers and COMMITTEE World Forum, we returned once any recommendations contained therein MartiN INDYK again to the city of Doha. The are solely the views of the authors and do Executive FForum, co-convened annually by the not necessarily represent the views of the Vice President Brookings Project on U.S. Relations participants of the working groups or of the Brookings with the Islamic World and the State Brookings Institution. Select working group TAMARA COFMAN of Qatar, is the premier international papers will be available on our website. WITTES gathering of leaders in government, civil Senior Fellow and Director society, academia, business, religion, and We would like to take this opportunity Center for Middle the media to discuss the most pressing to thank the State of Qatar for its gener- East Policy issues facing the United States and glob- ous financial support and vision. In par- al Muslim communities. ticular, we are grateful to His Highness WILLIAM MCCANTS the Emir for his leadership and generosity Fellow and Director Each year, the Forum features a variety in enabling us to come together for these Project on U.S. of platforms for thoughtful discussion three days of candid discussion. We would Relations with the Islamic World and constructive engagement, including also like to thank the Prime Minister and televised plenary sessions with prominent Minister of Interior, H.E. Sheikh Abdul- BRUCE RIEDEL international figures addressing broad is- lah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Senior Fellow Center for Middle sues of global importance; sessions focused Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Khalid East Policy on a particular theme led by experts and bin Mohammad Al Attiyah, and the Min- policymakers; and working and action istry of Foreign Affairs for their support. SALMAN SHAIKH groups that bring together practitioners to We would especially like to recognize H.E. Fellow and Director Brookings develop initiatives and policy recommen- Rashid Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, the Minis- Doha Center dations. The 2014 Forum continued its ter’s Assistant for Services and Follow-up, strong record of success. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin SHIBLEY TELHAMI Senior Nonresident Jassim Al Thani, the Minister’s Assistant Fellow Over three days together, we launched an for International Cooperation Affairs, Am- Project on U.S. initiative to return Mali’s cultural heri- bassador Abdulla Fakhroo, the Permanent Relations with the Islamic World tage to Timbuktu after the city was taken Committee for Organizing Conferences’ over by jihadists. We also deliberated on Executive Director, Dr. Osman Majeed, expanding the capacity of Pakistan’s civil and the Permanent Committee’s entire society to counter violent extremism, dis- staff for their support. In addition to Qa- cussed the application of Islamic values tar’s philanthropic generosity, all of these to achieve reconciliation in post-conflict individuals helped our staff facilitate logis- Muslim societies, and examined the chal- tics, troubleshoot issues that arose and, as lenges faced by Muslim communities in always, generally made us feel welcome. Europe and North America to develop a contextualized understanding of their reli- Sincerely, gion. These deliberations were captured in papers to be shared with policymakers and the broader public. (For detailed proceed- ings of the Forum, including photographs, Dr. William F. McCants video coverage, and transcripts, please visit Fellow and Director our website at http://www.brookings.edu/ Project on U.S. Relations with about/projects/islamic-world.) the Islamic World Abstract Muslim Communities in Europe and North America: A Transatlantic Dialogue on Contextualized Religion Conveners: Peter Mandaville and Dilwar Hussain his Working Group paper explains the key figures and major ideas that constitute this nature and significance of a key problem debate. An analysis is then offered of the major facing Muslim communities in Europe obstacles that have prevented such efforts from Tand North America: the challenge of achieving a advancing—drawing, where appropriate, on the contextualized understanding of their religion that experiences of other faith communities, including is suited to the unique circumstances, challenges, Christians and Jews, that have met similar chal- and opportunities that face religious minorities in lenges. The issues covered here include questions contemporary Western societies. The first section of representation and legitimacy, the challenge of of the paper provides a brief comparative overview creating spaces for intra-Muslim discussion and of Muslim communities on both sides of the At- understanding, intergenerational differences with lantic, identifying both points of similarity and respect to religious life and understanding, and the difference with respect to demographics as well role of institutions and leaders. The final section as socioeconomic issues (employment, education) of the paper outlines priority issues for moving and political questions surrounding civic engage- the discussion forward; discusses the potential for ment, identity, and discrimination. The next part building new partnerships and networks around of the paper explains the impetus behind recent this shared endeavor; and identifies appropriate efforts to develop responses to these practical is- contributions from governments and civil society sues that are based on the Islamic tradition but to advancing the project of contextualizing Islam specific to context, and identifies some of the in Europe and North America. Authors Peter Mandaville Dilwar Hussain United States United Kingdom Peter Mandaville was a Nonresident Senior Fellow Dilwar Hussain is the Chair of New Horizons in at the Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic British Islam, a charity organization that works for World and Director of the Ali Vural Ak Center for reform in Muslim thought and practice. He is also Global Islamic Studies at George Mason University. the author of his own blog, www.dilwar.org. He is From 2011–12, he served as a member of Hillary a research fellow at the Centre for Trust, Peace, and Clinton’s Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Depart- Social Relations at Coventry University, visiting ment of State where his portfolio focused on U.S. fellow in Contemporary Islam, Centre for Society, policy in the Middle East during the Arab upris- Religion & Belief at the University of Derby, and a ings. Mandaville’s visiting affiliations have included research associate at the Centre of Islamic Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies the University of Cambridge. Additionally, he is a and the Pew Research Center. His books include senior program advisor to the Institute for Strategic Islam and Politics and Transnational Muslim Politics: Dialogue and Research Fellow at the Lokahi Foun- Reimagining the Umma. He has testified before the dation. His research interests include social policy, U.S. Congress on political Islam, authored numer- Muslim identity, and Islamic reform in the mod- ous book chapters and journal articles, and contrib- ern world. Hussain is a trustee of the Three Faiths uted to publications such as Foreignpolicy.com, the Forum (3FF). Previously, he served as a commis- International Herald Tribune and the Guardian. sioner both at the Commission for Racial Equality and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Commission on Urban Life and Faith. Hussain graduated from King’s College, University of London. Executive Summary he Working Group “Muslim Communities and practice of Islam may play a role in answering in Europe & North America: A Transatlan- some of the challenges that they face in the modern tic Dialogue on Contextualized Religion” world. It was important to many in the group that Tconvened scholars, civil society actors, and com- such an agenda be led by American and European munity leaders from both sides of the Atlantic to Muslim communities themselves, rather than by discuss the nature and significance of key challenges states or those with outside interests. However, it in achieving a contextualized understanding of their was recognized that a dialogue and discussion with religion that is suited to the unique circumstances, others outside the community could be beneficial challenges, and opportunities that face religious mi- on issues of common concern. norities in contemporary Western societies. A range of concrete topics and policy areas were Over the past decade, the Brookings Project on introduced spanning issues such as education, U.S. Relations with the Islamic World has sought employment, incarceration, gender relations, be- to understand the impact of Islamic reform on so- longing, extremism and intolerance. The ques- cieties and politics in Muslim-majority countries. tion of gender inequality generated both an One way the project does this is by providing a ven- enormous amount of discussion and particularly ue for Muslims themselves to examine and explain strong views. Challenges faced by Muslim men religious, political, and social trends in their com- and