The Daily Lives of Muslims: Islam and Public Confrontation in Contemporary Europe
Ebook
For many in the West, Islam has become a byword for terrorism. From 9/11 to the Paris attacks, our headlines are dominated by images of violence and extremism. Now, as the Western world struggles to cope with the refugee crisis, there is a growing obsession with the issue of Muslim integration. Those Muslims who fail to assimilate are branded the 'enemy within', with their communities said to provide a fertile breeding ground for jihadists. Such narratives, though, fail to take into account the actual lives of most Muslims living in the West, fixating instead on a minority of violent extremists.
In The Daily Lives of Muslims, Nilüfer Göle provides an urgently needed corrective to this distorted image of Islam. Engaging with Muslim communities in twenty-one cities across Europe where controversies over integration have arisen – from the banning of the veil in France to debates surrounding sharia law in the UK – the book brings the voices of this neglected majority into the debate. In doing so, Göle uncovers a sincere desire among many Muslims to participate in the public sphere, a desire which is too often stifled by Western insecurity and attempts to suppress the outward signs of religious difference.
A remarkable and rich exploration of what it means to be a Muslim in contemporary Europe.
Author is French - extremely topical in light of the Paris attacks, which are referred to in a foreword updated for the English language edition
Speaks to many livewire debates - from Donald Trump's call for Muslims to be banned from the US to the controversy over Turkey's bid to join the EU
Features unique and remarkable first-hand testimony from 21 cities across Europe
Explores a number of contentious, newsworthy debates - Sharia law in the UK, banning of the veil and more recently the Burkini in France, building of minarets in Switzerland etc
Book has already garnered press coverage in its original French language edition
Preface
Introduction: European-Muslims - From Collage to Interweaving
1. Europe: No Entry for Islam?
2. Ordinary Muslims
3. Controversies Surrounding Muslim Prayer
4. Mute Minarets, Transparent Mosques
5. Art, Sacredness and Violence
6. Veiling and Active Minorities
7. What about Sharia?
8. Halal Lifestyles
9. Jewish Cursor
Conclusion: European Muslims Taking to the Stage
The Daily Lives of Muslims sheds light on the sincere desire among the majority of Muslims to play a constructive political and social role in their respective countries.
This is a very recommended book!
An incredibly important book. The current plague of anti-Muslim prejudice is due, in large part, to a lack of information about the diversity and lived realities of Muslim communities. This insightful volume confronts that reality with nuance and context. A must-read.
A boundary-crossing, original book. It gives a fresh take on the everyday and the quotidian, which informs our ways of seeing cities and societies. It also fulfils the promise of its title by illuminating the unsensational within lives that have been sensationalised beyond recognition.
A beautiful, rigorous, intelligent, sensitive and courageous book. It must be read.
A sharp and clear observation on the state of affairs of Muslims in Europe today. The book provides a detailed, analytical and insightful account of the challenges and opportunities faced by secular states and the Muslim community. A highly valuable contribution.
- Title: The Daily Lives of Muslims: Islam and Public Confrontation in Contemporary Europe
- Authors: Nilüfer Göle, Jacqueline Lerescu
- Publisher: Zed Books
- Print Publication Date: 2017
- Logos Release Date: 2024
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781783609567, 1783609567
- Resource ID: LLS:9781783609567
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-04-17T14:26:53Z
Nilüfer Göle is a professor of sociology at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris. Her previous books in English include Islam in Europe: The Lure of Fundamentalism and the Allure of Cosmopolitanism (2010) and Islam and Secularity: The Future of Europe's Public Sphere (2015).
Nilüfer Göle is a professor of sociology at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris. Her previous books in English include Islam in Europe: The Lure of Fundamentalism and the Allure of Cosmopolitanism (2010) and Islam and Secularity: The Future of Europe's Public Sphere (2015).