Islam in Europe Generation to Generation 12-14 Shawwal I 5-7 April 1993 St. Catherine's College and The School of Geography University or Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom

Abstract

This conference was opened by Jergen Nielsen (Centre for the Study
of Islam and Muslim-Christian Relations, Selly Oak Colleges,
Birmingham, United Kingdom), who discussed "Muslims in Europe into
the Next Millennium." After a brief account of earJy Muslim migration to
Europe, viewed as a migrant population from a "rival civilizationH or a
"victim" of colonialism, he argued that the second-generation Muslims
have become more aware of colonial experiences than the parent
generation. He attributed this ot their parents' rural background, where
people tend to be more illiterate and lack intellectual resources. Although
one cannot make broad generalizations on recent trends, Nielson
maintained that young Muslims in western Europe are disconnecting
themselves from ruraltraditional Islam and preferring a more intellectual
interpretation of Islam. Felice Das.setto (Universite Catholique de Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)
outlined the nature and scope of contributions made by anthro­ pologists, sociologists, orientalists, and
political scientists to the study of Muslims in western Europe in "The State
of Research on Islam in Eupero." Dassetto pointed out that the orientalists'
methods and theories failed to understand current themes, especially in the
context of the Muslim presence in Europe. Universities became interested in studying Islam ...