In a recent opinion piece titled Europe’s Islam Question (published in Daily Times, December 17, 2008), Professor Tariq Ramadan of the Oxford University pointed to the failure of an effective integration of European Muslims into their dominantly non-Muslim society. Mr. Ramadan questioned Europe’s capability of harmoniously assimilating diverse ethnicities, particularly Muslims, without compromising their ideals of equality, justice, and respect for its citizens. While some of the points highlighted in Mr. Ramadan’s article appear justified, a few important connections need to be added for greater clarity and better understanding.

First, the ideal culture in all societies leads unrealistically ahead of the real culture(s) existing in a particular territory. In the Arab countries, for example, where the Islamic teachings stress equality for Muslims (and not for all humans), the Arabs look down on non-Arab Muslims and deny any respectable jobs to them. Pakistani nationals working in the Arabian Gulf are particularly the victims of such discrimination. Hence, it is not the problem of European Muslims, or any religious identity, but the cultural inertia that does not readily accept any ‘foreigners’ on account of distrust and dislike – both reflecting a deep-seated fear of the ‘outsiders’.

Secondly, the status of a particular individual and/or ethnic group is mainly determined by their potential role in the economic and social prosperity of the society. In Arabian countries, for example, Americans and Europeans enjoy a higher status and receive many privileges due to the investment and technology they (or their countrymen) have brought to the Arabian states. These European/American nationals are living in greater harmony with the Arabians than do Pakistanis and other poor Muslims who have left their country for a better living in Arab countries. Religion again is not a consideration here but the ‘worth’ of an individual to the overall society’s status.

Finally, the issue of prejudice and discrimination seems hard to eradicate of any human society no matter what their egalitarian ideals. The ‘better me’ against ‘ugly them’ is an evolutionary trait that took hundreds of thousands of years to get ingrained in our genetic tendencies. Values of different religious/cultural groups do vary and also clash, whether we dare acknowledge it or not. When these values in clash are brought to occupy the same territory with the same resources, the quest for possession emerges at the cost of equality. It is natural (though not ideally agreeable) to look at the ‘different one’ as a threat.

The real question before us, therefore, is ‘can Muslims change their unique values to tune in with the cultural values of the society in which they live?’ It is important to note that the core issue here is not ‘legal’ i.e. abiding by the law of the country but ‘social’ i.e. deeply accepting the non-Muslim social values that dominate the society. Now this is something ‘easy said than done’ kind of situation since compromising one’s values means losing one’s ethnic identity. But can true integration be brought about without losing one’s values/identity? This is the real big question that challenges our wits. Let’s put our brains to work!