A European Tradition – by Silvia Horsch, Berlin

Friday, 07 May 2010 20:58

The « clash of cultures » theory that was developed by Samuel Huntington in the nineties has become increasingly influential since the terror attacks of September 11th and the resulting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Events such as the controversy over the cartoons or the debates over the speech given by the pope in 2006 are considered as further evidence that religion is the major cause of conflicts between different cultures – Islam is seen as particularly aggressive in this respect.

Also for Muslims in Europe the « clash of cultures » theory has direct consequences, because once again, the view is that Islam is foreign to Europe and that it is not possible for Muslims to integrate into European society. It is therefore crucial that we take a closer look: how does the situation look with regard to Islam and Muslims in Europe?