Ali Erbas, the head of Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate, says racism, xenophobia narrow areas of freedom

The German government's 'secular Islam' project only serves to make the Muslims in Europe become more radicalized, but not more integrated into their society

Insight Turkey, one of the leading academic journals in Turkey and the Middle East, discusses the European Union in its final issue.

The so-called 'fight against radicalization' seen in Austria and across Europe in general, only encourages discrimination and alienates Muslims from society through a far more destructive form of radicalism

Due to its unilateral and irresponsible foreign policy and conflicting political discourse, Trump's America instigated the rise of anti-Americanism even in friendly countries

This is the second edition of the annual European Islamophobia Report (EIR) which was presented for the first time in 2015.

A recent report by SETA puts forth a detailed profile of steeply rising Islamophobic incidents in 25 European countries as terrorism and Islamophobia trigger each other

SETA PUBLIC LECTURE     Ahmet Kuru     Assistant Professor of Political Science, San Diego State University     Date: June 3, 2010 Thursday Time: 16.00 – 18.00 Venue: SETA, Ankara

The migration and settlement of Turks and Muslims in Europe since the 1960s has irrevocably changed the social, cultural, religious and demographic landscape of European societies by transforming them into more ethnically heterogeneous and diverse political communities.

There is no doubt that the presence of Muslims in many European countries has changed the demographic and religious landscape of the West.

A few months before his death in October 2004, the famous French philosopher Jacques Derrida called for "deconstructing the European intellectual construction of Islam."

According to the US News & World Report (Sept. 27), President Bush uses the words “Islamic terrorist” with a clear agenda: the words “extremism,” “radical” and “Muslim” do not have the same dramatic tone as “Islamist terrorist.” The report says that while Bush has lightened up on using the word “Islamic” before terrorists, the advisers said in the background that the word should always be used because Americans believe that “Islamists” are those who act on terrorist threats. Words to avoid are “Muslim,” “extremist” and “radicals.”

Everybody from Ankara to Brussels is asking the question “With the Justice and Devlopment Party (AK Party) strengthening its position in government and Abdullah Gül as the new president, will Turkey renew its efforts to join the EU as a full member?” No matter how the AK Party and the Turkish people answer the question, much still depends on what happens next in Europe.

The picture was clear and symbolic: on the EU’s 50th birthday German Chancellor Angela Merkel presented as a gift to French President Jacques Chirac a cup with a depiction of Napoleon’s invasion of Alexandria in 1798. Never mind that Turkey, as a candidate country, has not been invited to the party. Never mind either the fact that the current EU president, Merkel, has nothing to hide in her opposition to EU’s membership.

There is a growing Muslim population in the very heart of Europe, where states are largely secular. Secularized European social life, political culture and the public sphere are all facing an enormous challenge of accommodating a relatively religious Muslim citizens coming from different Muslim countries. Despite settling in Europe and getting socialized here, many Muslims attach great importance to their sacred and religious values, trying to express their demands and identities in the public sphere.

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. Today there are increasing numbers of Muslim diasporic communities in Europe. Since 9/11 Islam and Muslim communities were put under the spotlight and public gaze. Although numerous publications hit the bookshelves, a number of ill informed analyses of Islam and approaches to Muslim communities still dominate the popular public opinion in the West. Misperceptions about Islam and Muslims in particular gave rise to the essentialist views of this faith and its followers as fundamentalist, pro-violence, uncompromising and anti-Western. It is time to challenge the monolithic perception of Muslims in Europe and argue that Turkish Muslims constitute a changing diasporic community defying clichés and common stereotypes about Muslims. The Turkish community in Europe is part of the emerging ‘European Islam’ and has its own diversity in the expression of Turkish-Muslim identity.