Governmental Responses to Muslim Populations in Western Europe
H. Knox Thames Tuesday, 1 March 2005
Islam qua Islam is a religion of peace and not of violence. Muslims who pervert the teachings of Islam to justify terrorism are a small, radicalized minority of the faith. Yet after the September 11th attacks in New York and the March 11th train bombings in Madrid, the threat of Islamist-based terrorism has loomed large in the minds of Europeans. European governments must now grapple with how to provide their citizens with security and effectively investigate leads, yet avoid painting all adherents of Islam as dangerous to society. Over the past several years, European governments have initiated efforts to engage their Muslim populations, while also monitoring them in an attempt to control perceived sources of instability, violence, and conflict. From an academic perspective, it has been interesting to observe the actions of governmental and political leaders in response to their large and marginalized Muslim communities. From a human rights and civil liberties perspective, it has also become increasingly troubling.
To read the entire article, please visit this article's page at informaworld, where articles are available for purchase from Routledge, our publishing partner.