Muslims in Europe: Separating Facts from Myths

Do European Muslims want to belong to the society they live in or do they want to live separately, applying their own Sharia laws? What are Muslims concerned about? Are their needs the same as those of the host society (better education, better health care, protection of the environment, security issues, etc)? What are the myths and what are the facts concerning European Muslims?

The Open Society Institute Muslims in Europe report series constitutes the comparative analysis of data from 11 cities in seven European countries. It points out common trends and offers recommendations at the local, national, and international levels, including to the European Union and to international organizations. While not representative of the situation of all Muslims in these cities, this report does capture a snapshot of the experiences of Muslim communities in select neighborhoods in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, Antwerp, Berlin and Hamburg, Copenhagen, Leicester and Waltham Forest–London, Marseille and Paris, and Stockholm.

This body of work comes in response to major trends with regards to Muslims living in Europe: whether citizens or migrants, native born or newly-arrived, Muslims are a growing and varied population that presents Europe with one of its greatest challenges, namely how to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all in a climate of rapidly expanding diversity.
The following overview report includes:

• Executive Summary
• Policy Context
• Cohesion, Belonging, Discrimination and Interactions
• Education
• Employment
• Neighborhood and Housing
• Health Care
• Policing and Security
• Civic and Political Participation
• Media
• Recommendations

The publication is available for download in its entirety or by chapter:

http://www.soros.org/initiatives/home/articles_publications/publications/muslims-europe-20091215