Between Anti-Islamic Sentiment and Liberal Secularism

European Union (EU) institutions have sought to establish a dialogue and relationship with religious organizations in Europe since the 1990s, even though religion is officially a competence of the member states.1 This process has been studied from the point of view of both Christian organizations and European institutions.2 The rising importance for EU institutions regarding issues related to Islam has also been examined, as have the different foreign policy initiatives undertaken to establish partnerships with neighboring Muslim countries.3 However, the concrete meetings and other forms of contact between Muslim organizations and EU institutions are only sporadically evaluated, while the related question of why so few Muslim organizations are present in Brussels has received little attention.4 What are the key obstacles to engagement between EU institutions and Muslim organizations? Who gains access to EU institutions and whose voices and interests are excluded? What can this tell us about the strengths and limits of the EU’s liberal secular ethos?

Economics · Ethos · European union · International trade · Islam · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Secularism · Sociology · Theology · Law · Public Administration · Religion and Society Interactions · Religion, Society, and Development