The interchange between Muslims and Europe has a long and complicated history, dating back to before the idea of ‘Europe’ was born, and the earliest years of Islam. There has been a Muslim presence on the European continent before, but never has it been so significant, particularly in Western Europe. With more Muslims in Europe than in many countries of the Muslim world, they have found themselves in the position of challenging what it means to be a European in a secular society of the 21st century. At the same time, the European context has caused many Muslims to re-think what is essential to them in religious terms in their new reality.
In this work, H.A. Hellyer analyses the prospects for a European future where pluralism is accepted within unified societies, and the presence of a Muslim community that is of Europe, not simply in it. He draws upon his
academic expertise in a variety of disciplines, including sociology, politics and religious studies, in order to give the reader a thorough theoretical backdrop. Uniquely, he combines this knowledge with his background as an independent scholar engaged in policy networks and institutions. The result is a work that has drawn critical acclaim from some of the most noted scholars in the West on a very important topic.
Biography of H.A. Hellyer
H.A. Hellyer is Fellow at the Centre for Research in Ethnic Relations at the University of Warwick (UK) and Director of the West Muslim world relations research consultancy, the Visionary Consultants Group (UK, Egypt & Malaysia). A United Nations ŒGlobal Expert¹ on minority-majority relations, political philosophy, and the interplay between religion and modernity, Dr. Hellyer was Ford Fellow of the Project on US Islamic World Relations at
the Brookings Institution.
As Senior Research Fellow at Warwick University, he was ESRC Placement Fellow at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office from October 2007 to April 2008, offering independent advice on Muslim European communities. In the aftermath of the 7/7 bombings, Dr Hellyer was nominated as Deputy Convenor of the UK Government¹s Home Office working group on Muslim communities, to provide independent counsel and critique.
A prolific commentator in Western media and media in the Muslim world, he is currently completing work on his next book entitled ³Muslims on the Margins: Muslim Minorities in Southeast Asia, Africa and the West².
Please visit www.hahellyer.com for further information about the book and the author.
