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Muslims, multiculturalism and the question of the silent majority
Akbarzadeh, Shahram Roose, Joshua
Akbarzadeh, Shahram
Roose, Joshua
Author
Abstract
Cultural diversity is the norm in Australia and the United Kingdom. Both states celebrate multiculturalism. But some populist politicians, commentators, and quasi-academics have recently portrayed Western Muslims as a “fifth column”, organized and intent on destroying the fabric of Western culture from within. Interestingly, extremist Muslim groups in the West make similar claims about the relationship between Islam and the West. In recent years, however, Western-born “moderate” Muslim intellectuals and moderates have emerged into the public sphere to challenge essentialist depictions of Islam and the Islamist textual interpretations. They claim an important social space for the Western practice of Islam. Whilst a burgeoning level of academic scrutiny is being focused upon moderate Muslims, this article notes the absence of academic literature about a large part of the Muslim population whose public life is not necessarily guided by their religion but more by their culture and ethnicity, i.e. the “cultural Muslims”. This group is unrepresented in the public debate on Islam and often ignored yet could constitute the majority of Western Muslims. This article concludes by posing significant questions about this group and the implications of political discourse upon their future trajectory.
Keywords
Date
2011
Type
Journal article
Journal
Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs
Book
Volume
31
Issue
3
Page Range
309-325
Article Number
ACU Department
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Relation URI
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Open Access Status
License
File Access
Controlled