Imams, European, Muslims 

The bombings in Madrid (2004) and London (2005) and the murder of the Dutch
filmmaker Theo van Gogh in 2004 alerted European governments to their susceptibility to
terrorism perpetrated by unassimilated Muslim immigrants. Whether they had pursued
multicultural immigration policies or regulated their immigrant communities closely, European
countries began adopting stricter measures in the attempt to contain—if not transform—’radical’
Islam. There appears to be a convergence toward a rigid model that includes highly-visible
deportations, demonstrations of support for pro-government Muslim leaders, and infiltration of
mosques and Muslim communities, as well as sponsoring or endorsing programs to train Eurofriendly
imams. This study examines the development and diversity of such policies as they affect
imams in various European countries with special reference to immigration policy, domestic
surveillance and education programs in France, Britain and the Netherlands. 

22 p.; 24 cm