Islam and Europeanism; cultural and historical critique of the contemporary neo-nationalism matrix

Year 2022, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 40 - 75, 31.12.2022

Faruk Hadžić

Abstract

The paper discusses European Islam and sociopolitical discursive engagement problematizing a gap between politics, culture, and history. The author argues that the intriguing neo-nationalist and neo-conservative "opposition" between Europe and Islam are neither epistemological nor exclusively political; it manifests various temporal and spatial patterns of cultural- ideological positions. It would be unreliable to use "Christian Europe" or "Christian West," as it would be wrong to denominate the Islamic East. Europe has never been without Islam in geographical, social, and cultural terms, and it has always benefited from coinciding. Cultural perspective activates a significant portion of anti-Islam attitudes and the legitimization of far-right sociopolitical processes. Viewing other cultures as "others" that can harm collective identity is not within the liberalism principle but a nationalist one. By accepting liberal principles, states should promote equality and respect for multiculturalism, cosmopolitanism, and society's identity in general. At the same time, Muslims must not minimize the Christian identity of Europe; it is inestimable. Muslims need to get to acknowledge it. Anti-fascism should be practiced at the foundation of today's democratic European order. In a historical, cultural, and sociopolitical approach, the complex debate on violent extremism boils down to a series of stereotypical narratives rather than examining the historical causes of the phenomenon. Consequently, it is necessary to promote moderate representatives of Muslim scientific experts and activists and not extreme sociopolitical critics of Islam. The sociopolitically anemia of the leftism contributes to the migration complexity. Therefore, a different approach is needed; the Muslim question displays a comparable pattern to the historical foundation of the Anti-Semitic paradigm.

Keywords

: Islam, Europe, neo-nationalism, neo-radicalism, history, culture, Religion

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