Why the West Fears Islam: An Exploration of Muslims in Liberal Democracy.

• Author: Kuppinger, Petra
• Position: Book review

Why the West Fears Islam: An Exploration of Muslims in Liberal Democracy

By Jocelyne Cesari

New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2013, 381 pages, $85.00, ISBN 9781403969538.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

In Why the West Fears Islam, Jocelyne Cesari explores, analyzes, and compares the state of affairs of Muslims in France, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, and the USA. The book examines issues of Muslim identities in these countries, probes into the ugly thicket of prejudice and resentment that considerable segments of the dominant population, the media, and many politicians harbor against Muslims, and discusses Muslim civic engagement and participation. Cesari, a political scientist, examines recent dynamics of securitization in Europe and North America and reviews debates about the compatibility of Islam and Western secularism. Considerable parts of the book are based on a research project that included 55 focus groups in Paris, London, Amsterdam, Berlin, and Boston, a very detailed survey conducted among Muslims in Berlin, and a thorough reading of available survey data (e.g. Pew, Gallup). Cesari's book is less an ordinary monograph about Muslims and their experiences in these five countries, but rather a rich source book about, in particular, the situation of Muslim civic and political participation in the five countries. About half of the book are appendices that provide plentiful data about the focus groups and Berlin survey, and figures and trends about, for instance formal political participation of Muslims, lists of European Representative Bodies of Islam, overviews of "Islamopedia: A Web-Based Resource on Contemporary Islamic Thought," or "Salafis in Europe," and finally a list of "Fatwas from Salafi Websites."

In chapter one, Cesari lists common prejudices against Muslims in Europe and North America and provides abundant evidence of how individuals, groups, politicians, and surveys illustrate widely held beliefs and assumptions like "Islam is incompatible with Western and national values," or "Muslim do not, cannot, and will not integrate." The chapter is a long (and unfortunate) list of prejudices, Islamophobic statements, and popular resentments. Part one of the book, under the heading: "In Their Own Voices: What Is It to Be a Muslim and a Citizen in the West" (chapters 2-4), presents copious empirical data (focus groups, Berlin survey) about how Muslims construct, understand, and situate their identities, religiosities, and religious and...