Muslim Youth and Women in the West: Source of Concern or Source of Hope?

Session II – Panel 2: A Vision for the Future

Mustapha Tlili introduced the second panel, “A Vision for the Future,” by noting that Europe is facing demographic and labor problems. The influx of Muslim immigrants will have certain consequences.

Susan Scholefield, director general for equalities, Department of Communities and Local Government in the United Kingdom, opened with a presentation on “Building Resilience and Preventing Violent Extremism.” Ms. Scholefield began by noting that historically, research on this subject in the United Kingdom has not brought together socioeconomic and citizenship data. This new approach attempts to diagnose problems and identify the factors that improve or harm the situation.

Muslims are the second largest religious group in Britain and the most ethnically diverse group. We can no longer talk about “the Muslim community,” but rather about Muslim communities, of which the largest group is ethnically Asian, comprising 74 percent of British Muslims—43 percent of them Pakistani. Furthermore, it is interesting to note that 52 percent of British Muslims are male, as opposed to a slight female majority in the general population. Fifty–two percent of British Muslims are under 25, versus 31 percent of the population for England and Wales as a whole. These demographics have made the government increasingly aware of the need for a flexible and targeted approach, as one size does not fit all.

Ms. Scholefield stated that education and employment are key foci for her organization. In 2004, studies found that 33 percent of the Muslims of working age in Britain had no work–related qualifications—the highest percentage for any religious group. They are also the group least likely to have degrees. The employment rate among British Muslims is much lower than for the general population, and it’s even lower for Muslim women. However, there are differences between British Muslims of different ethnic groups, with Indian men having the highest employment rates and black Africans having the lowest. Sixty–eight percent of British Muslim women are not working, as compared with only 26 percent of all women in the United Kingdom—a striking gap. Muslim young people have the highest unemployment rates in Britain. However, self–employment levels among British Muslims are high. Given that the workplace can be a space where people of different backgrounds and faiths meet, this means that people are not mixing as much as they might.

Surveys of geographical and housing patterns show that Muslims in Britain are clustered in certain areas of the country and tend to have larger households than other religious groups. Since the Department of Communities and Local Government is also the United Kingdom’s housing department, Ms. Scholefield stated that there is ample room for change through housing policies.

A newspaper–sponsored survey of British Muslims indicated that one in five felt “sympathy” with the motives of the July 7 bombers (see diagram below)6 Fifty–one percent of young British Muslims believed that September 11 was a conspiracy between the United States and Israel. At the same time, 79 percent of British Muslims feel that hostility toward Muslim communities in the United Kingdom is increasing. The 2007 Gallup World Poll contradicted these results, finding that Muslims are as likely as the general public to condemn terrorist attacks on civilians. Moreover, only a small minority of those polled sympathized with the September 11 attackers. Similarly, the poll found no correlation between religiosity, in terms of a strong personal commitment to Islam, and violent extremism.

People often try to determine causation—“cause and effect”—what Ms. Scholefield’s department sees as simply the difficult socioeconomic circumstances facing the Muslim population in Britain. She added that what her department wants to achieve is a British Muslim community resilient to pressure from those who want to radicalize young people—a community that actively condemns and prevents terrorism, as opposed to one that does not support terrorism but does not actively condemn it, either. Furthermore, the condemnation of terrorism should not be in response to fear of retribution.

The department’s Action Plan was launched in April 2007 to prevent violent extremism and, in Tony Blair’s words, “to enable local communities to challenge robustly the ideas of those extremists who seek to undermine our way of life.”7 The plan mandates a four–part approach: promoting shared values, supporting local solutions, building civic capacity and leadership, and strengthening the role of faith institutions and leaders. To the department, “shared values” means respect for rule of law, freedom of speech, equality of opportunity, respect for others, and responsibility toward others. The department is also working to ensure the most effective use of the education system, including universities, in promoting these ideals. For the past year, a committee on integration and cohesion has been identifying what works in practical terms. Findings support the effectiveness of local solutions, including targeted research and cooperation with grassroots organizations. Strategies include mentoring for young people in sports and other activities. The department also supports the development of strong faith–based institutions and leaders; it is working to raise the standards of governance in mosques and to establish a framework of minimum requirements for all imams and Muslim chaplains.

Regarding women, the department believes that greater participation by Muslim women is critical for British Muslims’ social integration and economic well–being. Women must be empowered to become active community members in Britain and throughout the world.

Shaarik Zafar, senior policy adviser from the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, followed with a presentation on “Successful Integration—Is It the Key to Enhanced Security?” He began by noting that the Department of Homeland Security’s mission is to prevent and deter terrorist attacks and other threats, secure the nation’s borders, and welcome visitors and immigrants. The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties works to ensure that the department maintains fundamental rights and liberties while carrying out its tasks. It also serves as a liaison between the department and the American public.

The Department of Homeland Security, Mr. Zafar added, has sponsored dialogues with various American sub–communities, such as people with disabilities, regarding emergency preparedness. It has also met with groups of immigrants to discuss issues like border security and naturalization. In addition, it meets on an ongoing basis with Arab, Muslim, and South Asian Americans to discuss civil rights in the context of homeland security.

For the United States and for the Department of Homeland Security, Mr. Zafar stressed, integration is understood in light of the national motto: “E Pluribus Unum,” or “Out of many, one.” While this definition is certainly open to interpretation, when talking about Muslim integration, we must note, he said, that we are talking about three groups: immigrants, the descendants of immigrants, and well–established communities, particularly African Americans with roots in the country for hundreds of years.

The United States has welcomed over four million new citizens and almost seven million legal permanent residents since 2000. The consistently high volume of immigration, coupled with new patterns of settlement, enriches American society even while it creates significant challenges for the smooth integration of immigrants. In the past, the United States dealt with these challenges by emphasizing a national identity grounded in shared civic values, rather than ethnicity, race or religion, which allowed the country to flourish as a nation of immigrants for over two centuries.

Muslims have been a part of the fabric of the American nation for generations, and their experience in the United States has been largely positive. The National Journal recently stated that “Muslims come to the United States and flourish” and are at average or above average levels in terms of prosperity.8

For example, among the four individuals the Department of Homeland Security recently recognized as “Outstanding Americans by Choice” were two Muslim Americans: Farooq Kathwari, the CEO of Ethan Allen Interiors, and Masrur Khan, a Houston, Texas, council member.9

However, with respect to political integration, there are European nations with noticeably greater success in electing Muslim members of parliament, remarked Mr. Zafar. The recent Congressional elections in the United States were historic partly because of the election of Keith Ellison, the first Muslim representative. Despite this and other encouraging signs, the United States today faces challenges regarding immigration, integration, and security. While these challenges are not exclusive to the Muslim community, Muslim Americans have become increasingly concerned about civil rights violations and negative views about Islam. Like other Americans, they are also concerned about issues of national and homeland security. The issue of “radicalization,” which, as Timothy McVeigh showed, is not exclusively a religious phenomenon, is one that all Americans need to take seriously.

To help prevent and counter ideological radicalization, Mr. Zafar said, the country needs to better understand and engage with Muslim communities, both in the United States and globally. By engaging with these communities and promoting integration and civic participation, the United States can hopefully minimize the isolation and alienation that can lead to radicalization. But does integration bring greater security? This is a difficult question to answer, observed Mr. Zafar. The Department of Homeland Security believes that improved security is one of many benefits of successful integration. And regardless of the high level of integration that Muslim Americans have achieved, there are still security issues.

Integration is not only the responsibility of immigrants and their descendants. Clearly, the state has a role to play by creating “spaces” for integration. With this in mind, according to Mr. Zafar, the Department of Homeland Security is taking five steps to further the already high level of Muslim integration, as follows:

  1. Meeting with community members and responding to their concerns—all Americans deserve an accountable and responsive government. Federal officials from various agencies have begun to hold regular meetings with Muslim Americans and other communities to discuss policies, respond to complaints, and disseminate information. In Houston last year, one set of community meetings resulted in better communication to Hajj pilgrims and FAA officials regarding the safe transport of Zamzam water in ways that adhered to the FAA’s ban on liquids.10
  2. Developing cultural competency among federal and other security officials regarding things like common Muslim head coverings, which the department has worked to promote through educational posters and DVDs.
  3. Upholding liberties and protecting civil rights, which the Department of Justice has been doing by investigating incidents of violence and hate crimes against Muslims, Arabs, and others. Integration cannot happen in situations where certain communities are treated as second–class citizens, and these investigations not only reinforce the law but also communicate several key messages: that Arab or Muslim Americans are Americans and hence entitled to the same rights and liberties as everyone else; that hate crimes and discrimination will not be tolerated; that the United States has a legal process for addressing discrimination; and that all Americans have the right to expect justice from the legal system.
  4. Promoting civil service, encouraging people of Muslim, Arab, and South Asian descent to join government service, as the department believes that this is a key aspect of integration, and that engagement in public service is a key way to influence public policy.
  5. Promoting civic engagement and civic participation, as these provide more chances for non–Muslim Americans to meet Muslim Americans and learn about Islam, which polls show promotes mutually positive perceptions. This step is one in which communities must lead, and they are doing so; the best action for government to take in this case is simply to stay out of the way. In situations where it is appropriate for the government to get involved, officials have the responsibility to encourage citizens to participate in public life and engage with public policy and to decrease tendencies toward isolation and alienation.

The session continued with Tariq Ramadan, professor of Islamic studies at St Antony’s College, Oxford University, and visiting professor at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, and Abdelmajid Charfi, professor emeritus of Arab civilization and Islamic thought, University of Tunis, discussing whether Muslim youth and women infuse new vitality into “old Europe” and on what terms. Mr. Ramadan began by noting that people at the highest levels of government in the West identify three main areas in which they are dealing with perceived and/or real problems: integration, demographics (i.e., the reported need for 20 million workers in the EU), and terrorism. Mr. Ramadan noted that in 90 percent of the talks he is invited to give, he is asked to address immigration and terrorism to related violence. For the past 20 years, he continued, talk about immigration has focused on the necessity for integration. “We start by speaking about religious integration and end up talking about social and political integration as if they are the same. In fact, it may be that there are different problems to consider, which may not necessarily be due to being Muslim. In other words, we are confusing the issue by Islamizing a social problem,” he said. In Mr. Ramadan’s opinion, religious and cultural integration is largely complete among Muslims in Europe. “What is the real issue we mean to address?” he asked. Mr. Ramadan continued, “Young Muslims in the West are pushing our societies to reconcile themselves with their own stated values and politics. We know that we have shared values. The problem is consistency: we are not living up to these values by implementing equal citizenship, for example. The issue of values arises not because of any religious conflict but because of social inequalities and other policy problems.”

For example, the 2005 riots in the Paris suburbs had nothing to do with integration. On the contrary, the protests themselves were a very French form of venting frustrations. The rioters were asking for consistency in social, economic, and political policies. It is time to stop conflating religious and social problems—the Paris rioters did not riot because they were Muslim. Similarly, the men who carried out the July 7 bombing (as elsewhere) were very highly integrated, both socially and educationally. They had no intellectual religious problem with integration per se. It is therefore false to collapse security problems and social problems, Mr. Ramadan explained. He added, “Although social problems are not directly to blame for violence, we do need to work together to overcome social problems and achieve the application of equal rights. It is salient to note that African Americans have been in the United States for generations and do not experience integration problems or religious problems—they experience social problems of inner cities. Instead of playing on religious fears, we need to develop social policies that address the frustrations of young people and strive to provide equal opportunity.”

Mr. Ramadan stated that his main concern is not with the far–right parties in Europe but with the normalization of their discourse; in general, what was said yesterday by the far right is tomorrow said by the center. The very discussion of Islam and integration presupposes old white Europe as the norm. He said the following: “We all know that our European societies have changed; we need to acknowledge this reality and stop talking about immigration as if it is a new phenomenon, and integration the problem.

“It is time for European governments to use Muslims who have been in Europe for some time, and are now citizens, as a resource to teach new immigrants about the democratic process and Western way of life. Young Muslims, especially, deserve to be heard as citizens, not spoken to in terms of immigration that happened a generation or generations earlier. As for the headscarf issue, let us embrace and live up to our shared values: it is against Islam to make someone wear a headscarf, and it is against human rights to make someone take it off.

“Regarding security, while there are marginal groups that pose a real danger, some governments have used the danger posed by the few as an excuse to monitor the whole community. The result is an upsurge of mutual distrust. If we want to be serious about confronting the threat of radicalism, we need a strong antiviolence discourse among Muslims—but we also need to provide a foundation for Muslims to trust their governments.”

Mr. Ramadan stated his belief that the question of cultural identity is not as complicated as some participants have suggested. Most European Muslims have a European identity—they are British by culture, for example—and this identity poses no problems for them. This is especially true for youth and women. In fact, there is a strong leadership of educated Muslim women in European society and in the West, challenging literalist or cultural readings of religious texts. This helps European countries understand that there is not only one way to be a Western woman. European Muslim women are now wearing headscarves and demanding equal pay (with men) for their work. Equal pay and freedom from domestic violence are universal right held by all women, not just Muslims.

Mr. Ramadan also noted that Muslims in the West are able to be completely integrated politically, socially, and culturally—and at the same time practice their religion. However, the emphasis on integration from the Western perspective implies that even third– and fourth–generation citizens “with immigrant backgrounds” are not considered truly European. This situation is regrettable but should also be taken advantage of by the Muslim community as an opportunity to come to a new understanding of their traditions and faiths in a new cultural context.

Mr. Charfi spoke next. He began by noting that second and third generations of Muslims who are more “integrated” are not yet sufficiently educated—they lack the means and the training they need to truly succeed in mainstream European society. Mr. Charfi announced that he would focus on the Muslim communities of Arab origin, since the Turkish Muslim communities are different and more complicated. (Turkish Muslims are believing Muslims but are also in favor of laïcité, which is particularly true of communities in Germany.) The Arab Muslim communities’ reliance on “imported” interpretations of the faith has lead to a fundamentalist Islamic path, in his view. The renewal of Islam should come from Muslims who live their religion in the West, because living there provides a new situation for believers. While the veil for women or the beard for men is an exterior sign of adherence to ritual practice, one must consider the simultaneous potential for spiritual depth in a secularized society. Today, most Muslims in the Western world know about Islam only through what they are taught in the mosques—and what is taught there are values of traditional societies, which are often inapplicable to today’s complex realities. Islam is used to defend an outmoded social hierarchy, in which men are at the top, as are rich people and military leaders, with women and children at the bottom. Muslim Europeans can choose to remain marginalized, but if they want to succeed, they must radically change their attitudes. To this end, European imams must be fluent in modern, local cultures and must be given direct access to the sources and to the debates that open Islamic scripture to new interpretations.

Mr. Charfi renewed his call for Muslims, particularly those in the West, to return to the spirit of the message of the Prophet and reexamine the Qu’ran and hadith in a new light. One of the key postulates in Islam today is that every action taken by men should be scrutinized from a juridical point of view, to determine whether it is recommended, permitted, forbidden, or imposed. However, this postulate is the product of historical interpretation—not dictated by the Qu’ran itself. There are many such postulates that need revising. Like the Coptic Christians who find it difficult to integrate into Western society because they still adhere to doctrines in a traditional manner, Muslims in Western world will continue to have difficulties integrating until they take up this prerequisite critical reflection.

The floor was opened for general debate on the issues raised by the afternoon’s presentation. Aziz Huq, director of the Liberty and National Security Project, Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, noted that Mr. Ramadan has put forth a notion of “consistency” that focused on tolerance and equality in terms of the treatment of others. However, without defining contestable terms like equality and tolerance, very little can be achieved.

Reefat Drabu, chair of the Muslim Council of Britain’s Social and Family Affairs Committee, asked for proof of Ms. Scholefield’s assertion that integrations is a means of tackling extremism. After the July 7, 2005, bombings in London, the British Muslim community issued a statement that British foreign policy contributed to extremism. Asking Muslim communities to help tackle extremism promotes the assumption that ordinary Muslims in Britain have ties to extremism and are able to help find and deal with extremists, i.e., that “we are all guilty by association.”

Vincent Tiberj, senior research fellow, Center for Political Research at Paris Institut des Sciences Politiques, agreed with Mr. Ramadan on several points, noting that people coming from immigrant backgrounds are enjoying relative success in education but suffering ethnic and religious inequalities and discrimination in the workplace. Not only are language courses needed but also effective policies that would change the lives of people who are already somewhat integrated and believe in the promise of the Western way of life. Mr. Ramadan responded to this group of remarks. First, he acknowledged that defining consistency is important, but stated that he wants to avoid philosophical discussions. He disagrees with attempts at comparative approaches in Europe—one will never find a French solution to British problems, for example. This is interesting as an intellectual exercise but not helpful in the real world. Next, he stressed practicality—striving for equal opportunity at the level of job markets, just as the women’s movement accomplished in the 1960s. If one has the skills, one should get the job. The best solution is to punish negative discrimination. Policy should rely on three things: the legal framework of the country, the country’s heritage, and the collective psychology. Finally, while he himself is not a proponent of self–segregation, Mr. Ramadan supports efforts like those in France in which Muslim communities have taken responsibility for failing schools that had effectively become Muslim public schools.

Ms. Scholefield seconded Mr. Ramadan’s call for a practical approach. Neither she nor the British government make a connection between communities’ cohesion and the equal opportunity issues that affect all who are underserved; it is possible for very deprived communities to be very cohesive. What is needed is to act on the deprivation issue. Regarding foreign policy, Iraq is a concern in terms of radicalization—but is certainly not the cause of extremism. As for the issue of Muslims being guilty by association, the position of the British government is that everyone is in this together. It is the young people who are under attack from outside, and the British government tries to work with that perspective, continually taking stock of how it is doing.

Mr. Schain noted that the great integration problem for Europe has historically been centered on the working class. If we look at Muslims in Europe as a primarily working–class group, and compare their integration with that of other working–class populations, we see that Muslims’ integration has been at least a comparative success. In terms of education, there are of course Muslims in both Britain and France who have been successful in terms of getting into and graduating from top universities. The failure occurs in terms of the percentage of the Muslim population that has no certifiable qualifications.

Shamit Saggar, professor of political science, University of Sussex, and former senior policy adviser to the prime minister, asked Ms. Scholefield how comparing the description given by Mr. Zafar with the socioeconomic picture of British Pakistani Muslims that Mr. Peach presented might change the distribution curve she presented.11 In the United States, Mr. Saggar suggested, Muslims and immigrants in general enjoy better economic and social prospects: “the American dream.” He believes that the reason why jobs, education, and housing are constantly raised in connection with extremism is because these conditions seem more controllable than something as amorphous as global Islam. In conclusion, Mr. Saggar asked Mr. Ramadan what could be done on a security level and on a community level about the small but significant Muslim minority committed to violence or willing to provide tacit support. Even if these people are only 5 or 10 percent of the Muslim population, this means that in the United Kingdom alone there are tens of thousands of them. Mr. Ramadan responded that “in order to rely on Muslim leaders and organizations, we first need the institutionalization of the Muslim presence in Europe, so that imams and religious scholars can be trained in Europe or America. Unfortunately, today, the only Islamic institutions are in the Middle East. Islam is not only one culture, i.e., Arab culture, even if Arabic is the language of the Qu’ran. Muslims in the West need to recognize that we share the same religion, but that ours has a culturally European or American dimension. Western Islamic institutions will require financial and political independence in order to speak freely without relying on funding from one wealthy country with a particular view on Islam.”

“In Europe today,” Mr. Ramadan continued, “the economic need for labor is in conflict with cultural resistance against more new immigration. There is a need for strong policy to deal with integrating working classes into mainstream society despite fears of social change. European governments, opinion makers, and other civil society leaders also need to communicate to people in Muslim communities that they have civil rights and civic duties, which include the duty to be engaged in and contribute culturally to the community at large. Part of integrating is also Muslim communities agreeing to address their political frustrations through voting and the exercise of free speech, even when the discourse strikes some as, scary.’ Within Muslim communities, we need to challenge extremists using strong Islamic arguments that we believe not just in our minds, but with our hearts.”

Mr. Charfi noted that Muslims may seem to speak with great bitterness and not only about the role they play in the West. In the Muslim world, the population has suffered not only on the material and economic levels, but also from the absence of liberty.

Mr. Tlili closed the session by noting that participants have offered valuable insights into the issues surrounding integration in Europe and in America, both from the perspective of Muslim communities as well as the “host” countries. The critical issue, especially in election times, is to build common ground and for Muslim communities in Europe and North America to gain full citizenship—without qualifications or other references.

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