How do Muslims in Europe acquire discursive and practical knowledge of Islam? How are conceptions of Islamic beliefs, values and practices transmitted and how do they change? Who are the authorities on these issues that Muslims listen to? How do new Muslim discourses emerge in response to the European context? This book addresses the broader question of how Islamic knowledge (defined as what Muslims hold to be correct Islamic beliefs and practices) is being produced and reproduced in West European contexts by looking at specific settings, institutions and religious authorities. Chapters examine in depth four key areas relating to the production and reproduction of Islamic knowledge: authoritative answers in response to explicit questions in the form of fatwas. the mosque and mosque association as the setting of much formal and informal transmission of Islamic knowledge. the role of Muslim intellectuals in articulating alternative Muslim discourses. higher Islamic education in Europe and the training of imams and other religious functionaries. Featuring contributions from leading sociologists and anthropologists, the book presents the findings of empirical research in these issues from a range of European countries such as France, Italy, the Netherlands and Great Britain. As such it has a broad appeal, and will be of great interest to students and scholars of Islamic studies, anthropology, sociology and religion.

How do Muslims in Europe acquire discursive and practical knowledge of Islam? How are conceptions of Islamic beliefs, values and practices transmitted and how do they change? Who are the authorities on these issues that Muslims listen to? How do new Muslim discourses emerge in response to the European context?

This book addresses the broader question of how Islamic knowledge (defined as what Muslims hold to be correct Islamic beliefs and practices) is being produced and reproduced in West European contexts by looking at specific settings, institutions and religious authorities. Chapters examine in depth four key areas relating to the production and reproduction of Islamic knowledge:

• authoritative answers in response to explicit questions in the form of fatwas.
• the mosque and mosque association as the setting of much formal and informal transmission of Islamic knowledge.
• the role of Muslim intellectuals in articulating alternative Muslim discourses.
• higher Islamic education in Europe and the training of imams and other religious functionaries.

Featuring contributions from leading sociologists and anthropologists, the book presents the findings of empirical research in these issues from a range of European countries such as France, Italy, the Netherlands and Great Britain. As such it has a broad appeal, and will be of great interest to students and scholars of Islamic studies, anthropology, sociology and religion.

"European Multiculturalism Revisited" analyzes the main 'models' of multicultural societies that Europe has experienced since the end of World War 2. Based on research conducted by local scholars in the UK, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, France and Germany, the point of departure is the alleged crisis of these models: in Britain after the July bombings, in the Netherlands after the Van Gogh assassination, also in Denmark and other countries, including France, where doubts about their assimilation approach have grown stronger. The analysis consists of a historical account of how in each country the model developed and was implemented in practice, followed by an analysis of the factors that have led to the claim that the model has failed. The question being: did it actually fail, and if it failed was it because of some intrinsic weaknesses, or rather of some external and contingent circumstances?

"European Multiculturalism Revisited" analyzes the main 'models' of multicultural societies that Europe has experienced since the end of World War 2. Based on research conducted by local scholars in the UK, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, France and Germany, the point of departure is the alleged crisis of these models: in Britain after the July bombings, in the Netherlands after the Van Gogh assassination, also in Denmark and other countries, including France, where doubts about their assimilation approach have grown stronger. The analysis consists of a historical account of how in each country the model developed and was implemented in practice, followed by an analysis of the factors that have led to the claim that the model has failed. The question being: did it actually fail, and if it failed was it because of some intrinsic weaknesses, or rather of some external and contingent circumstances?