Books

Overview

(IL)liberal Europe

Editors: Natalie Doyle and Irfan Ahmad

Europe sees itself as embodying the ideals of modernity, especially in relation to democracy and the respect for human rights. Faced on the one hand with the need for public recognition of a new population of Muslim identity, and the threat of violent radicalization on the other, Europe is falling prey to the politics of fear and is tempted to compromise on its professed ideals.

Reflecting on the manifestations and causes of the contemporary fear of Islam gaining ground in contemporary Europe, as well as on the factors contributing to the radicalization of some Muslims, (Il)liberal Europe: Islamophobia, Modernity and Radicalization offers a diversity of perspectives on both the challenges to social cohesion, and the danger of Islamophobia encouraging a spiral of co-radicalization. Combining empirical studies of several European countries with a comparative account of India and Europe, the book analyses vital issues such as secularity, domophilia, de-politicization, neo-nationalism, the European unification project and more. Spanning a variety of disciplinary approaches, the volume offers novel insights into the complex landscape of identity politics in contemporary Europe to widen the scope of intellectual inquiry. This book was originally published as a special issue of Politics, Religion & Ideology.

International Edition – Publisher’s website
Contributors and Chapters’ Titles
Introduction: Islamophobia, European Modernity and Contemporary Illiberalism Natalie J. Doyle and Irfan Ahmad
  1. ‘Alien Religiosity’ in Three Liberal European States Robert Gould
  2. Swiss Shock: Minaret Rejection, European Values, and the Challenge of Tolerant Neutrality Douglas Pratt
  3. Something Varied in the State of Denmark: Neo-nationalism, Anti-Islamic Activism, and Street-level Thuggery Mark Sedgwick
  4. In Defense of Ho(s)tels: Islamophobia, Domophilia, Liberalism Irfan Ahmad
  5. Islam and the Quest for a European Secular Identity: From Sovereignty through Solidarity to Immunity Armando Salvatore
  6. Islam, Depoliticization and the European Crisis of Democratic Legitimacy Natalie J. Doyle
  7. Radicalization in Prison: The French Case Farhad Khosrokhavar
  8. Mohamed Merah: From Petty Criminal to Neojihadist Virginie Andre & Shandon Harris-Hogan