The Daily Lives of Muslims: Islam and Public Confrontation in Contemporary Europe

ISBN-13: 9781783609543 / Angielski / Twarda / 2017 / 376 str.

Nilufer Gole

Opis

For many in the West, Islam has become a byword for terrorism. From 9/11 to the attacks in France and Belgium, our headlines have been dominated by images of violence and extremism tied to radical Islam. At the same time, as the Western world struggles to cope with the growing crisis of Middle Eastern refugees, many of whom are Muslim, there is a concern over how--or whether--Muslims will integrate into Western society. The fear is that Muslims who fail to assimilate will be branded as outsiders, creating segregated communities that might provide a fertile breeding ground for jihadists. Such reductive narratives, however, fail to take into account the actual lives of most Muslims living in the West, choosing to focus on a minority of violent extremists. In The Daily Lives of Muslims, Nilufer Gole provides an urgently needed corrective to this distorted image of Islam.

The Daily Lives of Muslims engages with members of Muslim communities in twenty-one cities across Europe where controversies over integration have arisen, from the banning of the veil in France to debates surrounding Sharia law in the United Kingdom. In doing so, Gole brings the voices of this neglected majority into the debate and uncovers a sincere desire among many Muslims to participate in the public sphere, a desire which is too often stifled by Western insecurity and attempts to suppress the outward signs of religious difference. This is a timely and urgently needed perspective on an issue that is likely to remain in public debate for many years to come.

Recenzje

'An incredibly important book. The current plague of anti-Muslim prejudice is due, in large part, to a lack of information about the diversity and lived realities of Muslim communities. This insightful volume confronts that reality with nuance and context. A must-read.'
Nathan Lean, author of The Islamophobia Industry

'A sharp and clear observation on the state of affairs of Muslims in Europe today. The book provides a detailed, analytical and insightful account of the challenges and opportunities faced by secular states and the Muslim community. A highly valuable contribution.'
Tahir Abbas, Royal United Services Institute

'A beautiful, rigorous, intelligent, sensitive and courageous book. It must be read.'
Sonia Dayan-Herzbrun, La Quinzaine littéraire

'A boundary-crossing, original book. It gives a fresh take on the everyday and the quotidian, which informs our ways of seeing cities and societies. It also fulfils the promise of its title by illuminating the unsensational within lives that have been sensationalised beyond recognition.'
Richard Phillips, University of Sheffield

'This is a very recommended book!'
Muslim World Books Review

'The Daily Lives of Muslims sheds light on the sincere desire among the majority of Muslims to play a constructive political and social role in their respective countries.'
Arab News

La Quinzaine littéraire

Spis treści

Preface Introduction: European-Muslims - From Collage to Interweaving 1. Europe: No Entry for Islam? 2. Ordinary Muslims 3. Controversies Surrounding Muslim Prayer 4. Mute Minarets, Transparent Mosques 5. Art, Sacredness and Violence 6. Veiling and Active Minorities 7. What about Sharia? 8. Halal Lifestyles 9. Jewish Cursor Conclusion: European Muslims Taking to the Stage

O autorze

Nilüfer Göle is a professor of sociology at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris. Her previous books in English include Islam in Europe: The Lure of Fundamentalism and the Allure of Cosmopolitanism (2010) and Islam and Secularity: The Future of Europe's Public Sphere (2015).