The Islamic Challenge

In this summary you will learn

• What major concerns face Europe’s 15 million Muslim inhabitants
• What European governments can do to diffuse Muslim discontent
• What the four models for integrating Muslims into Western European society are

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Why you should read The Islamic Challenge

The increasing presence of Muslims in predominantly Christian Western Europe is an inflammatory emotional and political topic. Concerns about terrorism, and about the ways this guest religion and culture are altering European values, focus on huge perceived threats. But how real are they? Political scientist Jytte Klausen takes a dispassionate, social-science approach to answering this question through first-hand interviews with more than 300 Muslim leaders in six Western European nations. What she found is surprising. She makes the case that Western European nations can control the outcome of this emotional debate, and can defuse seething discontent through social programs and minor changes to restrictive legislation. getAbstract recommends this to people who want one scholar’s overview of the important role of religion in Western Europe. It’s dry reading, but it contains powerful messages that may actually help integrate Europe’s newest wave of immigrants – of course, if that is everyone’s genuine goal.

About the Author

Danish-born Jytte Klausen is a professor of comparative politics at Boston’s Brandeis University, and the author of several works on social policy, women’s equality and immigration. Her other books include Has Liberalism Failed Women?