MUSLIM IDENTITY IN EUROPE
By: Mughzi Abdillah

There is strong pressure today on Muslims living in European countries. The wave of immigration which started after the Second World War brought number of Muslims refuges to west European countries.  Some of them face the difficulty of regular practice of Islamic rules, the trouble of being part of minority often labeled as foreign, different, if not Barbarian, fundamentalist, and fanatic. Even if they try to hold on this permanent pressure, the situation influences their thoughts and actions; suggests their consciousness in order to protect themselves from non-Islamic environment and finally determine their identity in contrast with western culture.  On the other hand, alternatively some of them forget their origin and religion or try to erase their identity to fuse themselves in society and thus become one of theirs.

In both cases, we have one notice that Muslims do not define their Islamic identity by their selves, from inside. It is true not only for those who has an extremist attitude, but also great majority of Muslims who has difficulties in merely saying who are we. Why should it be so? Is there any inherent difficulty in defining Muslims vis-à-vis Western civilization? Is this the result of modern or European context? Each of this assumption carries part of truth.

Before being means of protection, however, Islam is an affirmative Faith which carries within itself a global understanding of creation, life, death and humanity (Tariq Ramadan; 2010).  This understanding should be basic of Islamic rule of thinking and behavior. In order to understand the Islamic identity, firstly, we must know the global vision of Islamic faith and the consequences of diverse field of human life. Moreover, we have to understand exactly the essential principle of Islamic rules and make them understandable in the light of context within European society. This is the way to contextualize Islamic teaching in European context.

Todays, the increasingly accessibility of the media, including satellite television, the internet and others, contribute to fragmentation of the traditional structure of religious authority. They serve as a vehicle to diffuse the concepts of individual and society, freedom and morality. On the other hand, many of the emerging of new voices and leaders of movement emerging in public sphere of the contemporary of Muslim world claim to interpret or inspired by basic religious text and idea. Unfortunately, many of them protect themselves from the loss of their loss tradition, interpret religious text textually and legitimate their thought as an absolute truth. In the manner of media, this religious argument and practice fostered the emergence of public sphere, and it has taken place in some countries.  

Mass media plays an important role in contributing to fragmentation of the public opinion. Some cases related to violence correlating with the name of Islam, such as September 11 attacks, Charlie Hebdo shooting, and Terror in Paris, have had a tremendous effect on people’s view of Islam in Europe and given rise to the negative perception which are so widespread. Moreover, the reporting of mass media on the crisis, violence and killings in Middle East assumed as the image of Islamic countries has engendered a climate of fear. “Islamophobia” emerged in public sphere as the European society’s fear of Islamic movement.  They assumed Islam as a terrify religion, so most of them presumed that the presence of Muslims immigrant to their countries is the potential threat to their culture, social and political live. Therefor, todays, European Muslims have a double burden both to seek their identity and to solve Islamophobia issue.  

By: Unknown On 7:19 PM

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