From 2008 till 2012 a team based at six universities conducted extensive research on the social-cultural integration of different Muslim groups in Europe. This has resulted in the collection of unique data sets that give new insights into the interplay of policies, debates, and attitudes of, and, towards Muslim migrants. We are proud to present and discuss these research findings during a two day conference on 20-21 June 2012 in Brussels.
During the EURISLAM final conference we will present and discuss findings on citizenship and cultural policies; the media debate on Muslim and Islam in 30 national newspapers; leadership perspectives of over 90 representatives of Islamic and migrant organisations, and the attitudes and integration of nearly 5.000 respondents from Europe¹s four largest Islamic groups (Turks, Moroccans, Pakistani¹s, and Muslims from the former Yugoslav Republic). Data will be presented in a comparative analysis of the six participating countries (Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and The United Kingdom)
It is often assumed that specific policies can positively influence the integration of immigrants and their offspring. The EURISLAM data will indicate that public and political dimensions are, however, not that strongly interlinked with the socio-economic and cultural integration of Muslim immigrants and their offspring. Different traditions and practices in the naturalization and cultural accommodation of Muslim migrants appear to be only a slight factor determining their overall integration within society. The results of the EURISLAM project hereby contribute to new ways of thinking about the importance of national and post-national policies concerning the accommodation and integration of migrants.
The conference will consist of two main plenary meetings, followed by a set of workshops. A preliminary conference programme with detailed information on the location and workshops will soon be made available. If you wish to attend the EURISLAM final conference, please send an email to m.w.koomen@uva.nl, stating your full name and organisation (if applicable).
Prof. Dr. J.N. Tillie
The EURISLAM team consists of Prof. Dr. Jean Tillie (University of Amsterdam), Dr. Marco Giugni (Université de Genève), Prof. Dr. Paul Statham (University of Bristol), Prof. Dr. Ruud Koopmans (Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung), Prof. Dr. Dirk Jacobs (Université Libre de Bruxelles), and Dr. Manlio Cinalli (Centre de Recherches Politiques de Sciences Po). EURISLAM is a European comparative research project funded in the 7th Framework of the European Commission. Answers were sought to the questions how different traditions of identity, citizenship, and church-state relations have affected European immigration countries¹ incorporation of Islam, and what the consequences are of these approaches for interactions between migrants, their offspring, and the receiving society.
Nassef Manabilang Adiong, PhD 