The Situation of Islamic Communities inEuropeans Society (Western)

. . . . . . The image of Islam and Muslims in Europe has a typical distorted picture. The major features of this stereotypical image of islam are backwardness, violence and extremism. Western media television, radio and newspapers adopted a remarkable blatant distortion against Islam and Muslims in an orderly and planned process which led to a deepening gap between Muslims and Europeans. Even the secular states are not successful to be exactly secular because of this hostile feelings against Muslims. Practically, Muslims, in these states, didn't receive any ministeral or administrative position for the sympathy with the Christian candidates. The racial phenomenon aganist Arabs and Muslims has been strengthened, in Europe, in the light of declining conditions there. The problem of Muslim communities is a cultural, civilized and political one. there is another proplem which is racisim against muslim. Although Islamic religion comes in the second rank after Christianity, most of the European countries do not recognize the Muslim communities' status. Cousequently, they lost much of their civil and religions rights. The feeling of siege and confrontation led Muslim communities to adopt defensive reactions and enchance their relationship with thear identity. They had also a feeling of superiority as a compensation of being politically on the shelf.In West, Muslim communities can be classified into three categories: assimilated, prosperous and rebels. But these are confronted with the problem of integration in the Western society, since integration leads Muslims to leave the wereases of their personalities and their behavioural life which have been mapped out by Islamic culture. This has not been only of concern to Muslims but also to the European governemnts. In addition, there are amny problems that Muslims face in Western societies which differ from one European country to another, like the problem of veil, non-recognition of Islam, melting in non-islamic communities, the difference between Muslims in Europe, the emergence of extremist groups, absence of islamic references. There is also an absence of political leadership and Islamic economic power, as well as, non-ownership of media means and excacerbation of Muslim communities' social problems.