Muslims in Europe: Citizenship,Multiculturalism and Integration

This article provides an analysis of the concerns in relation to citizenship and multicultural reforms in Europe. It examines the implications for the social integration of Muslims, who seemingly face insurmountable constitutional hurdles notwithstanding liberal institutional attempts, in accommodating a religion that, judged by its global politicisation, may pose more a challenge to multicultural societies than to others. While shedding light on recent developments concerning a wide-ranging panorama of the socio-legal dynamics of integrating Muslim communities in Europe, the article provides an overview of the multicultural idea, focusing on how some European countries address multicultural claims swiftly while others lag behind, busy with more basic issues of immigrant assimilation and integration. It is argued that while attempts are being made to improve Muslim integration, the rising tide of Islamophobia (political and media-manufactured), anti-terrorism legislations and security policies serve to provide a multi-pronged attack on civil liberties and freedoms of Muslim groups. In the concluding section, there will be general remarks concerning the future of Muslims in Europe and the commendable and realisable aim of Muslims to construct an inclusive national identity and find partners who will, like them, be determined to approve what Western culture produces in terms of its positive contributions and resist its deleterious effects on the human, societal and environmental levels.     

News Media Coverage of Islam and Muslims in Australia: An Opinion Survey among Australian Muslims

Existing research has explored the ways the mainstream news media covers Muslims and Islam, but few studies have examined Muslims’ reactions to this reporting. Studies that have investigated this issue have identified that the responses of Muslims to news media coverage tend to be largely negative because of the lack of Muslim news sources, the stereotypical representation of Muslims in news coverage, the portrayal of Muslims as the enemy within, and the conflation of Muslims with terrorism. This paper further explores the attitudes of Muslims to news media coverage of Islam and Muslims by drawing on data from 14 focus groups (N?=?104 participants) conducted with Australian Muslims. Similar to previous research, findings reveal that Australian Muslims are highly critical of news media coverage of Islam and Muslims and express concern about the divisiveness that such portrayal can have for Australian society. However, the study participants also had positive comments to make about the news media. Possible solutions to negative news media portrayals of Muslims are considered.     

Belonging and the uses of difference: young people in Australian urban multiculture

This paper examines how young people of migrant background in Australia make meaning of cultural, ethnic and racial difference to work out belonging in times of super-diversity. It asks what functions difference still has for a generation growing up within conditions of proliferating diversity that demand and accommodate competing constructions of cultural identities. It suggests that young people's narratives about difference depend on the space of belonging, and explores how young people use difference differently depending on whether they are articulating membership in the local community, the nation or youth culture.     

Young Somalis in Australia,the UK and the USA: An Understanding of Their Identity and their Sense of Belonging

The civil war in Somalia forced many Somalis to migrate to other countries where they had to adapt to new cultures and learn new languages. At the same time, they retained the identity and culture that were important to them throughout the process of migration. These first-generation Somali immigrants may feel strong allegiance to their country of origin along with a “sense of belonging” to their clan/kinship. They may also hope that one day they will be able to return “home”. But do second-generation Somalis feel the same way? This paper is based on 23 interviews with Somali immigrants in Australia, the UK and the USA. Out of the 23 participants, two were first-generation and the rest were second-generation. I seek to understand the participants' identity and their sense of belonging to their ethnicity and host country in the wake of pertinent moments of local, national and international anxiety.     

Everyday inter-ethnic tensions and discomfort in a culturally diverse Australian workplace

Australian workplaces are increasingly becoming culturally diverse. As a space of involuntary encounter of racial difference, multicultural workplaces are significant sites for understanding how workers deal with cultural difference. Involuntary cross-cultural encounters are a facet of living with cultural difference which can produce discomfort, tension and conflict in the workplace. The study of workplace social relations has traditionally focused on practices of racial discrimination. In this paper, we shift the focus to examine different modes of negative inter-ethnic interactions at work through the lens of discomfort. It suggests that analysing tension and conflict arising in multicultural workplaces as racially motivated or simply racist fails to capture other factors that adversely affect inter-ethnic interaction. This paper presents findings from a research into workplace interaction in the Australian employment services providers to emphasise that changing work conditions and increasing cultural diversity have profound impact on the workers’ experiences of workplace relations.     

美国穆斯林:现状与挑战

美国是一个多元、开放的社会 ,汇聚了世界各种族的成员。在美国 ,各种种族、文化、思想的融合从未间断。但多元并不意味着各个单元在社会、政治、经济、文化等方面的完全平等 ,非主流群体要想在主流社会占有一席之地并非易事。在这方面 ,美国穆斯林群体在美国社会中的现状、发展轨迹和在发展中面临的困惑与挑战很有代表性 ,它在很大程度上反映了少数族群在美国的现状与发展特点 ,对其进行研究有助于深入了解美国社会。同时 ,它为各国少数民族的发展提供了值得借鉴的宝贵经验 ,具有积极的现实意义。一、一体多元的美国对普通人来讲 ,地理和政…     

Western Liberal Democracy: The Struggle of Muslims for Freedom,Equality and Dignity

The increasingly multicultural fabric of Western liberal democracies has given rise to the issue of the presence of Muslim minorities in the West, as rising hatred and hostility toward Islam and Muslims in the West undermine the three guiding principles of freedom, equality and dignity that underpin the foundation of liberal democracy, human rights and multiculturalism. Today, Muslims in the West struggle for freedom, equality and dignity to ensure their ethnocultural survival and full and equal participation within the mainstream society. Therefore, it would be quite correct to say that the endurance of liberal democracy, human rights and multiculturalism built on the Western civilization depends on the eradication of Western Islamophobia.     

The situation of Philippine Muslims

Even before the dramatic events surrounding the assassination of Philippine opposition leader Senator Benigno Aquino in August 1983, and the ensuing political crisis, it was clear to observers of the Philippine's political scene that destabilizing influences were operating on the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos and that groups both within the regime and in opposition to it were man‐oeuvering for positions in a post‐Marcos society. With this in mind, in November 1983 a group of specialists from the Philippines, australia and North America met in Canberra, Australia to review the current political and economic situation and speculate on various aspects of ‘the Philippines after Marcos’.¹ This article is an abbreviated and slightly modified version of a paper which the author contributed to that conference.     

Hong Kong Muslims on Hajj: Rhythms of the Pilgrimage 2.0 and Experiences of Spirituality Among Twenty-First Century Global Cities

The pilgrimage to Mecca is an often-overlooked topic in the study of Muslim minorities. This work looks at the experiences of Muslims in Hong Kong who make up a multi-ethnic community situated in a densely populated urban metropolis in China. As a small community, these Muslims are free from the constraints of the hajj quota system that most countries are subjected to. The organisation and experiences of these pilgrims is contrasted with recent developments in Mecca, including urban development and communications infrastructure to serve the pilgrims. The twenty-first century hajj, as “pilgrimage 2.0”, characterises some of the contemporary challenges that modern hajj poses. These insights are contrasted with Lefebvre's concept of rhythmanalysis to highlight themes of permanence and change. In addressing the similarities of both Mecca and Hong Kong as “global cities”, the experiences of Hong Kong Muslims are made distinct.     

The Rohingya Crisis: The Centrality of Identity and Citizenship

The article examines the recent developments of Rohingya refugee crisis, especially in the aftermath of August 2017 violence which led to the exodus of hundreds of thousands of people across the border to Bangladesh. It analyzes the three-stage-plan proposed by China and the repatriation agreement between Myanmar and Bangladesh and argues that ethnic identity and citizenship issues are fundamental to the Rohingya conundrum. Without addressing these core issues, which thus far have been paid little or no serious consideration, there is a danger of recurrence of violence. While the Myanmar authorities are ready to address some of the immediate concerns, such as providing accommodation and food, evidences suggest that the government does not have the political will, at least at the moment, to address the core issues of ethnic identity and citizenship, as well as the related security concerns.     

马来西亚的华人穆斯林--兼论不同文明的共存

本文通过对马来西亚华人穆斯林的个案分析 ,认为不同的文明并不是影响民族关系发展的惟一障碍 ,民族冲突的背后往往有着更为深刻的政治和经济根源 ,无限夸大文明差异的冲击 ,对民族冲突实际起到火上加油的负面效应 ;应借鉴马来西亚的经验 ,积极促进彼此间的理解与合作。