The workshop “European Islam between Religious Traditions and Secular Formations” was held in Slubice (Poland) from 7-10 February. It was jointly organized by ISIM, Casa Arabe and its International... Show moreThe workshop “European Islam between Religious Traditions and Secular Formations” was held in Slubice (Poland) from 7-10 February. It was jointly organized by ISIM, Casa Arabe and its International Institute of Arab and Muslim World Studies, Kompetenzzentrum Orient-Okzident Marinz, and Europa -Universitat Viadrina Frankfurt/Oder. Show less
Focusing on two recent controversies—the cancellation of Mozart’s Idomeneo in Berlin and the death threats against a French teacher for criticizing Islam—this article revisits the flawed... Show moreFocusing on two recent controversies—the cancellation of Mozart’s Idomeneo in Berlin and the death threats against a French teacher for criticizing Islam—this article revisits the flawed construction of a clash between Islam and freedom of expression, and seeks to show how the debates are connected to a problematic vision of Europe which necessarily excludes Muslims. Show less
A French fatwa condemning the 2005 riots in Islamic terms gave rise to a controversy around the legitimacy of this particular Muslim technology in a secular polity. To seize the significance of the... Show moreA French fatwa condemning the 2005 riots in Islamic terms gave rise to a controversy around the legitimacy of this particular Muslim technology in a secular polity. To seize the significance of the text one must place it in the tradition of the Salafiyya, where Islamic forms of reasoning acquired a distinctively public dimension, and map out the recent—and contested—discursive shifts in French laïcité. Show less
Muslim collective identifications in Europe are to a large extent shaped by national dynamics. In France, the call for a French Islam which dominates public debates has forced Muslim leaders to re... Show moreMuslim collective identifications in Europe are to a large extent shaped by national dynamics. In France, the call for a French Islam which dominates public debates has forced Muslim leaders to re-position themselves. One of the most intriguing responses has come from Tareq Oubrou. This self-learned imam has been working within the Islamic tradition to establish a sharia de minorité, building the premises of a “legal Islam” adapted to the secular context of France and the religious practices of Muslims. Show less
In the context of the exhibition Urban Islam in Amsterdam (see p. 44), the Royal Tropical Institute and the ISIM co-organised a series of lectures and debates. The theme of the meeting held on 27... Show moreIn the context of the exhibition Urban Islam in Amsterdam (see p. 44), the Royal Tropical Institute and the ISIM co-organised a series of lectures and debates. The theme of the meeting held on 27 April 2004 was “From Cyber Imam to European Islam: Youth and Islam in Europe.” In his introduction to the event, Alexandre Caeiro (ISIM) focussed on how the Internet is giving rise to new types of socialization among Muslims in Europe, including original matrimonial strategies and enhanced modes of political mobilization. The main speaker for the evening was Tariq Ramadan who delivered a lively lecture on the role of Western Muslims and the future of Islam to a mixed audience of Muslim youth and non-Muslims. Show less
The European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR), created in 1997, is one of the most remarkable initiatives in the developing field of jurisprudence for Muslim minorities living in the West.... Show moreThe European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR), created in 1997, is one of the most remarkable initiatives in the developing field of jurisprudence for Muslim minorities living in the West. Unlike the Fiqh Council of North America, established a few years earlier, the ECFR includes scholars from the Middle East, a sign that this particular legal discourse also affects believers in Muslim majority countries. Many of the issues at hand go beyond the state of post-migration. Consequently, the ECFR has to find a balance amongst a variety of views and expectations in Europe and beyond. Show less
