When Islam and Democracy Meet: Muslims in Europe and the United States

doi:10.1163/156973208X335341

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When Islam and Democracy Meet: Muslims in Europe and the United States

Journal Article•DOI•

When Islam and Democracy Meet: Muslims in Europe and the United States

Tirza Visser¹•Institutions (1)

VU University Amsterdam¹

01 Jan 2008-International Journal of Public Theology (BRILL)-Vol. 2, Iss: 4, pp 505-506

About: This article is published in International Journal of Public Theology.The article was published on 2008-01-01. It has received 100 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Democracy & Jewish studies.

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Journal Article•DOI•

Immigrant Religion in the U.S. and Western Europe: Bridge or Barrier to Inclusion?

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Nancy Foner¹, Richard D. Alba²•Institutions (2)

City University of New York¹, State University of New York System²

01 Jun 2008-International Migration Review

TL;DR: The authors analyzes why immigrant religion is viewed as a problematic area in Western Europe in contrast to the United States, where it is seen as facilitating the adaptation process, and argues that the difference, it is argued, is anchored in whether or not religion can play a major role for immigrants and the second generation as a bridge to inclusion in the new society.

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Abstract: This article analyzes why immigrant religion is viewed as a problematic area in Western Europe in contrast to the United States, where it is seen as facilitating the adaptation process. The difference, it is argued, is anchored in whether or not religion can play a major role for immigrants and the second generation as a bridge to inclusion in the new society. Three factors are critical: the religious backgrounds of immigrants in Western Europe and the United States; the religiosity of the native population; and historically rooted relations and arrangements between the state and religious groups.

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506 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Not welcome here: Discrimination towards women who wear the Muslim headscarf

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Sonia Ghumman¹, Ann Marie Ryan²•Institutions (2)

University of Hawaii at Manoa¹, Michigan State University²

01 May 2013-Human Relations

TL;DR: In this article, a field experiment in which confederates portraying Hijabis or not applied for jobs at stores and restaurants was conducted, and evidence for formal discrimination (job call backs, permission to complete application), interpersonal discrimination (perceived negativity, perceived interest), and low expectations to receive job offers in the workplace was found for Hijabi confederate.

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Abstract: This study addresses discrimination that individuals who wear religious attire encounter during the hiring process. We build from the relational demography literature and contemporary research on discrimination in the workplace to propose possible discriminatory effects against Hijabis (Muslim women who wear the headscarf). Specifically, we conduct a field experiment in which confederates portraying Hijabis or not applied for jobs at stores and restaurants. Evidence for formal discrimination (job call backs, permission to complete application), interpersonal discrimination (perceived negativity, perceived interest), and low expectations to receive job offers in the workplace was found for Hijabi confederates. Furthermore, Hijabis were less likely to receive call backs when there was low employee diversity compared to when there was high employee diversity. Implications of these findings with regards to Hijabis and organizations are discussed.

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118 citations

Cites background from "When Islam and Democracy Meet: Musl..."

...Hijabis are likely to be stigmatized due to their affiliation with Muslims, a group that is often associated with negative stereotypes, attitudes, and perceptions (Cesari, 2004; Poynting and Mason, 2007; Sheridan, 2006)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Queer as Intersectionality: Theorizing Gay Muslim Identities:

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Momin Rahman¹•Institutions (1)

Trent University¹

19 Oct 2010-Sociology

TL;DR: The authors identify characterizations of Muslim identities as antithetical to a wide range of western values, including democracy, secularization, gender equality and sexual diversity, and argue that Islam is a threat to these values.

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Abstract: I begin by identifying characterizations of Muslim identities as antithetical to a wide range of western values, including democracy, secularization, gender equality and sexual diversity I argue t

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117 citations

Cites background from "When Islam and Democracy Meet: Musl..."

...Such intersectional sensibilities are apparent in relation to gender and Muslim identity (Cesari, 2004; Haddad, 2006; Razack, 2008; Scott, 2007; Yamani, 1996), often centred around the question of how Muslim difference presents a challenge to both universal ideas of equality and identities within…...
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Journal Article•DOI•

Islamophobia and Threat Perceptions: Explaining Anti-Muslim Sentiment in the West

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Sabri Ciftci

20 Nov 2012-Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs

TL;DR: This article investigated the determinants of anti-Muslim sentiment in the West and found that perceived realistic and symbolic threat is the most significant source of Islamophobic attitudes in the USA, Great Britain, France, Germany, and Spain.

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Abstract: This article investigates the determinants of anti-Muslim sentiment in the West. Starting from the premise that Islamophobic attitudes are more nuanced than a simple dislike of Muslims, I focus on specific forms of attitudes which link Muslims to violence and terrorism. Data from the Pew Global Attitudes Surveys are used to test three theories: perceived threat, social identity, and cognitive capabilities. A series of logit estimations are used for the empirical analysis of individual level data in the USA, Great Britain, France, Germany, and Spain. The results show that perceived realistic and symbolic threat is the most significant source of Islamophobic attitudes in the West. While individuals cognitively differentiate between general feelings toward Muslims and their specific characteristics, higher levels of education significantly reduces negative sentiments. A good number of Westerners think of Muslims as violent individuals while some believe that they support al-Qaeda. Citizens in the West are mo...

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111 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Western Views Toward Muslims: Evidence from a 2006 Cross-National Survey

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Richard Wike¹, Brian J. Grim¹•Institutions (1)

Pew Research Center¹

20 Mar 2010-International Journal of Public Opinion Research

TL;DR: The authors examined the determinants of Western views toward Muslims, and found that threat perceptions are the primary factor influencing these views, and that perceived cultural threats are only indirectly related to views towards Muslims.

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Abstract: Concerns about Islamic extremism and ongoing debates about the integration and assimilation of Muslims into Western societies continue to attract considerable attention from the media, policymakers, and scholars, but relatively little cross-national research has been done on Western attitudes toward Muslims. This article attempts to address this question by exploring 2006 Pew Global Attitudes data among non-Muslims in Britain, France, Germany, Spain, and the U.S. Using structural equation modeling, we examine the determinants of Western views toward Muslims, and find that threat perceptions are the primary factor influencing these views. Specifically, our analysis suggests that perceptions of security threats drive attitudes regarding Muslims, and that perceived cultural threats are only indirectly related to views towards Muslims.

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87 citations

Cites background from "When Islam and Democracy Meet: Musl..."

...Cesari (2004) describes a ‘‘Bin Laden Effect’’ in Western societies after September 11, which has led to discrimination and even violence against Muslims. The ‘‘Bin Laden Effect,’’ according to Cesari, ‘‘consists mainly of casting all Muslims within the U.S. and Europe in the role of The Enemy, transforming them into scapegoats for the entire society’’ (p. 35). In this view, perceived security threats associated with Muslims by many in the majority population are leading to negative reactions against this minority community. Many scholars have attempted to advance our understanding of threat perception by identifying different types of threats and evaluating their relative impact on public opinion, as well as other dependent variables (Huddy et al., 2002; Davis & Silver, 2004; Gibson, 2004b). For example, in their study of arrest rates for African Americans in the U.S., Eitle and D’Alessio (2002) test three different threat perception hypotheses: the ‘‘political threat hypothesis,’’ the ‘‘economic threat hypothesis,’’ and the ‘‘black crime hypothesis,’’ and ultimately the authors conclude that only the black crime hypothesis can be supported, finding that arrest rates for African Americans are correlated with the amount of black-on-white crime in a given area, but not with the amount of black-on-black crime. Meanwhile, Stephen et al. (2002) distinguish between symbolic and realistic threats. Symbolic threats ‘‘involve perceived group differences in morals, values, standards, beliefs, and attitudes’’ and ‘‘jeopardize the worldview of the ingroup,’’ while realistic threats ‘‘refer to threats to the very existence of the ingroup (e.g., through warfare), threats to the political and economic power of the ingroup, and threats to the physical or material well-being of the ingroup’’ (p. 1243). Sniderman et al. (2004) find support for something akin to the symbolic threat hypothesis in their study of Dutch public opinion, discovering that perceived threats to Dutch culture lead to negative views of immigrant groups....
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...Cesari (2004) describes a ‘‘Bin Laden Effect’’ in Western societies after September 11, which has led to discrimination and even violence against Muslims. The ‘‘Bin Laden Effect,’’ according to Cesari, ‘‘consists mainly of casting all Muslims within the U.S. and Europe in the role of The Enemy, transforming them into scapegoats for the entire society’’ (p. 35). In this view, perceived security threats associated with Muslims by many in the majority population are leading to negative reactions against this minority community. Many scholars have attempted to advance our understanding of threat perception by identifying different types of threats and evaluating their relative impact on public opinion, as well as other dependent variables (Huddy et al., 2002; Davis & Silver, 2004; Gibson, 2004b). For example, in their study of arrest rates for African Americans in the U.S., Eitle and D’Alessio (2002) test three different threat perception hypotheses: the ‘‘political threat hypothesis,’’ the ‘‘economic threat hypothesis,’’ and the ‘‘black crime hypothesis,’’ and ultimately the authors conclude that only the black crime hypothesis can be supported, finding that arrest rates for African Americans are correlated with the amount of black-on-white crime in a given area, but not with the amount of black-on-black crime. Meanwhile, Stephen et al. (2002) distinguish between symbolic and realistic threats....
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...Corresponding author: Richard Wike; e-mail: rwike@pewresearch.org nloaded from https://academ ic.oup.com /ijpor/article-abstract/22/1/4/666575 by guest on 16 April 2019 demonstrated that few Muslims support Islamic extremism (Pew Global Attitudes, 2006, 2007; Pew Research Center, 2007), the threat posed by Al Qaeda and affiliated groups continues to generate apprehension in the U.S. and Europe, raising concerns about extremist groups abroad and the potential for violence committed by ‘‘sleeper cells’’ at home....
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...This study aims to add to our understanding of this topic by examining public opinion in five countries in which integration and assimilation of Muslim minorities, as well as broader tensions between Western and Muslim nations, have been major issues in recent years—Britain, France, Germany, Spain, and the U.S....
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...Over time, other studies have also found support for the link between religiosity and a lack of tolerance in the U.S. (Wilcox & Jalen, 1990; Wald, 1997)....
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