2004/10/01 by Talip Küçükcan · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies #Migration, Refugees, and Integration #Diaspora, migration, transnational identity #Islam #Turkish #Diaspora #Public sphere #Multiculturalism #Faith #Gender studies #Identity (music) #Sociology #Essentialism #Political science #Law #History #Aesthetics #Theology
paper · doi:10.1080/1360200042000296645
openalex publication_date 2004/10/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. Today there are increasing numbers of Muslim diasporic communities in the Western world. Since 9/11 Islam and Muslim communities were put under the spotlight and public gaze. Although numerous publications hit the bookshelves, a number of ill‐informed analyses of Islam and approaches to Muslim communities still dominate the media. Misperceptions about Islam and Muslims in particular gave rise to the essentialist views of this faith and its followers as fundamentalist, pro‐violence, uncompromising and anti‐Western. Based on extended research findings, this article challenges the monolithic perception of Muslims in Europe and argues that Turkish‐Muslims constitute a changing diasporic community defying clichés and common stereotypes about Muslims. This article shows that the Turkish community in Europe is part of the emerging ‘European Islam’ and has its own diversity in the expression of Turkish‐Muslim identity. This article concludes that the existence of Turkish and other Muslim diasporic communities should be seen as an opportunity to establish a bridge between Europe and the Muslim world. Moderate Islam as represented by the overwhelming majority of Turks in Europe can be a source of dialogue, mutual understanding and communication between Muslims and the West.