Answer
Salam Dear Frieda,
Thank you for your question and for contacting Ask About Islam.
I agree with you there is a major integration problem in many European countries. I’m particularly aware of the situation in the Scandinavian countries due to my work on my cross-cultural project “Don’t Hate, Educate!”
I get a lot of comments through the site related to this situation, and I’m currently in touch with a number of social workers in Denmark and Sweden to see what can be done to help both sides relate to each other more positively.
It’s important to remember that the first command in the Quran for all humanity is “Read!” (Al-A`la 96:1), so seeking knowledge and getting an education are actually mandatory activities for all able Muslims, definitely more so if they’re offered for free.
So let me join you in encouraging Muslim immigrants in your country to seize the opportunity and get a good education, both for the sake of their faith and at the same time for the sake of their adopted communities, since Islam encourages its followers to take a proactive and positive role in their societies no matter where they are.
I know this might not be the case all the time today, but there is no reason to assume this is how it will continue to be. I know from your position you can help improve the situation.
To be able to help, we need to get deeper into the reasons of this problem on both sides, because from a communication and problem solving point of view, there are always two sides to every problem, we can’t blame only one side for it all the time.
The majority of the Islamic nations have suffered a long history of oppression, imperialism, and wars since the fall of the Islamic state in Spain. This has no doubt greatly affected the socio-economic and educational systems in these societies.
Many of the Arabs and Muslims in your country are asylum seekers, which means they mostly come from very difficult home environments where they had to literally fight to stay alive.
When they move to a completely new environment, there is a major factor of culture shock, enhanced by their inherent fear of any unknown. If you add to that the right-wing Islamophobic attitude which is constantly on the rise recently, it definitely pushes such people to cling together and try to preserve their faith and culture which are under attack.
So while your country is graciously trying to take in “guests of the state” (as I know they’re called by law) and offer them better living conditions, there has to be an intensive psychological help program to facilitate their merging into society.
We need to remember: they arrive without the required amount of knowledge of the language, cultural heritage, and social customs of their new adopted homes. They also come carrying a heavy legacy of suspicion due to their past history in relation to the West. Consequently, under such circumstances, we can only expect a general feeling of suspicion and distrust which results in isolation.
My advice is to try to encourage some of the second and third generation immigrants — especially girls — to get an education and a job as social workers and teachers. This way they can help their own people get out of their shells a bit.
You might want to involve some of the local imams in the Islamic centers and mosques to educate the Muslim youth about their social responsibilities and civil duties, there are many such themes in Islamic teachings, but many Muslims lack this kind of education.
Please stay in touch and update me with your progress, I’ll be happy to help anytime.
Salam and please keep in touch.