Seeking some middle ground: can Muslims and non-Muslims live peacefully and quietly side by side in a secular society such as ours?

In 2004, the British House of Lords agreed to set aside a Muslim prayer room on its premises to accommodate the four Muslim Lords. One of them said that the British establishment is "more welcoming to Islam than any other country in Europe." Similar prayer facilities were expected at many British police stations. The Foreign Office also helps provide medical and consular services for the 20,000 Britons who make the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. And, the country's first Islamic bank has been approved.

Still, the 2001 census revealed that there were large gaps between Muslims and other Britons on the social, educational, and economic scales. Muslims experience much higher long-term unemployment rates, lower education, and Asians are subjected to about twice as many street searches as the national average. The general secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain was quoted (in The Economist in January 2005) as describing Muslims as "an underclass that has never had its fair share of the cake."

The Netherlands, which prides itself on tolerance, started to shift its thinking after the 2004 murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh. He was murdered by a Muslim who didn't like the way Mr. van Gogh had portrayed Islam in a movie. Some angry Dutch citizens retaliated by burning Muslim schools and places of worship. Some want to counter Islamist extremism by putting more emphasis on the role of law and less on accommodating differences. They believe that immigrant communities that don't adapt to the values of Western democracies are ticking time-bombs. Even those who describe themselves as leftists, liberals, or social democrats, are critical of Muslims who hold conservative values and are themselves intolerant of those with different views.

A survey after the killing of Mr. van Gogh found that a large majority of Dutch people felt their country had changed permanently since his murder. Many, believing that 30 years of multiculturalism has failed, think it's time for Muslims to adapt to Dutch values. The country had welcomed Muslim immigrants since the 1960s and 1970s. Public money paid for Arabic-speaking schools, mosques, and social clubs. Now, many Dutch people fear more violence among radical Muslims who reject the values of secular democracy.

Dutch Justice Minister Rita Verdonk argued that the killings and reprisals resulted from immigration policies that had not been selective enough. The government aims to change that by limiting the arrival of immigrants through arranged marriages, for example, and requiring those who do immigrate to learn the Dutch language. Those applying to live in the Netherlands have to take culture and language tests. In March 2005, a government advisory committee even recommended that mosques be required to hold services in Dutch. Immigrants must now take citizenship classes, and the imams of mosques must attend seminars on Dutch law, including the rights of women and freedom of speech.

Multiculturalism and tolerance have come under attack across Europe, not just in The Netherlands; citizens are asking how much tolerance they should have for the intolerant.

France has tried to control the radicalism of Islamists by combining support with a tough security policy to deal with terrorist suspects. French laws allow suspects to be detained without trial for months and the country doesn't hesitate to expel imams who spread hate.

On the support side of its strategy, the government set up the French Council of the Muslim Faith in 2003 as an official voice for French Islam. But, a power struggle in the Council has threatened moderates.

France also wants to cooperate with other European countries in making sure that radical Islam does not breed terrorism. To that end, France has agreements with Britain, Germany, Italy, and Spain to share intelligence on radical Islamists who attend training camps.

A recent article in The Economist explains that European Muslims "are creating a distinctive form of Islam. They are driven by their experience as minorities; by a desire to overcome ethnic differences; and by the trauma of emigration. The first encourages Muslims to cooperate with non-Muslims; the second encourages them to look beyond their traditions; the third forces them to come to terms with change and modernity."

The article also says the Koran calls for peaceful relations between Muslims and others. It quotes Ahmed al-Rawi, president of the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe as saying "We must participate in all activities of life, as students, as businessmen, as social workers," suggesting that Muslims should engage with their new countries and not set up parallel structures.

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France estimates that of nearly 1,700 Muslim places of worship about 50 are considered "radical."

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Germany's new immigration law facilitates the expulsion of Islamic radicals, but also makes language classes mandatory for immigrants; in November 2004, The Economist reported, European immigration ministers agreed on a common approach to integrating newcomers. They must be helped to take part in peaceful politics; faith must be respected, but not used to curb freedom.

AIMING FOR PEACE AND SECURITY

The Global Centre for Pluralism was established in Ottawa in 2005. The federal government, under Paul Martin's Liberal Party, agreed to contribute $30 million to the Centre. Wealthy philanthropist Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of millions of Ismaili Muslims, put $40 million toward it through the Aga Khan Foundation of Canada.

In announcing plans for the Centre Aga Khan said: "Tolerance, openness and understanding towards other peoples' cultures, social structures, values, and faiths are now essential to the very survival of an interdependent world. Pluralism is no longer simply an asset or a prerequisite for progress and development, it is vital to our existence." At the same time, Mr. Martin said: "Canadian society provides a model to the world of how democracy, prosperity, and security can flourish when founded on a culture of respect and diversity."

On the subject of peace, Shirin Abadi, during her commencement address at Montreal's Concordia University in June 2005, said: *'Peace will be lasting only if it is built on two solid pillars: social justice and democracy. Otherwise, even if there is silence, it represents not tranquility but repression."

ONE LAW FOR ALL

The Ontario government shocked a lot of people when it proposed allowing the use of some aspects of sharia [Islamic) law in 2004; it was to be employed in resolving family disputes. Some of the strongest opponents were Muslims who escaped their home countries to be free of the strict religious law, opting instead for Canadian civil law. Many reject the notion that to be a good Muslim, is to follow sharia law.

Sharia is based on the Koran and interpretations of it can vary widely. Many, including the Muslim Canadian Congress, believe some of its principles discriminate against women. Male heirs, for example, receive a greater share of an inheritance than female heirs; husbands, not wives, may initiate divorce proceedings; and in divorce cases, fathers are generally awarded custody of adolescent daughters.

Homa Arjomand is co-ordinator of the International Campaign against Sharia Court in Canada. She is a lawyer who has acted for many Muslim women whose rights were abused during informal arbitration by Muslim leaders. "Many of my clients have been victimized by this arbitration taw, and I nave helped some to escape abusive relationships, polygamy, and child marriages," she told The Globe and Mail. Faith-based arbitration has to comply with Canadian laws and decisions may be appealed. However, Ms. Arjomand says many Muslim women are isolated, with no idea of their rights under Canadian law.

In June 2005, Iranian Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi also warned that Islamic tribunals would open the door to potential rights abuses. "One country, one legal code, one court--for everybody," she said during a visit to Montreal to receive an honorary degree. Ms. Ebadi, a lawyer, former judge, and human rights activist, is against the idea because she says Muslim law is open to interpretation. She adds, "Often a lot of the interpretations are anti-democratic and against human rights. That is my main concern."

A month earlier, the Quebec National Assembly voted unanimously to condemn efforts to introduce Islamic tribunals in Quebec, and in all of Canada.

By September 2005, the campaign against allowing sharia tribunals in Ontario to resolve family disputes had spread to Europe. There were protests in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, and Stockholm. Scores of international groups spoke out against faith-based arbitration. Rights and Democracy, a Montreal-based non-governmental group, lobbied against it and won the support of 80 national organizations including the Canadian Federation of University Women, the Canadian Council for Muslim Women, and the YWCA. The Council on American-Islamic Relations Canada and the Muslim Canadian Congress both oppose the idea of sharia-based courts as well.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:

1. Publishing cartoons of the prophet Mohammed might seem harmless to some, but the Danish newspaper that ran a dozen such cartoons in September 2005 opened a hornets' nest. In the Muslim world, where any depiction of the Prophet is forbidden, people lost their lives over the issue amid calls for one of the artists who drew them to be beheaded. Embassies were attacked, mosque sermons expressed outrage at the insult to Islam, and widespread demonstrations took the protest to the streets. (It should be noted that hundreds of people held peaceful protests.) While some press members refused to publish the offensive caricatures, others republished some of them to make a point of their right to do so. Some Muslims were distressed about the uproar, saying the hysteria was a reflection of lack of confidence among Muslims. Others said the spirit of defiance was a unifying force among Muslims. Cooler heads encouraged calm and restraint, and a joint statement issued by the United Nations, the Organization of the Islamic Conferences, and the European Union in February 2006 condemned violent protests and called for respect for religion. Discuss how you think this issue should have been handled.

2. In 2005, France banned the wearing of Muslim headscarves in state schools as well as other religious symbols such as large crosses, and Jewish yarmulkes (skull caps). The law was in response to concerns that the country's large Muslim minority will break away from mainstream society, become extremist, and threaten French identity. Discuss whether or not you think the ban will help or hinder the integration of Muslims.

3. In an article at frontpagemag.com (Why Islam Hates Democracy, June 2002), Jamie Glazov writes: 'The tremendous success that has driven Western civilization is secularism. Islamic civilization sees secularism as anathema. In order to catch up with the West, Islam must embrace secularism, but embradng secularism would force Islam to sacrifice its Islamic character. This is why a reformed Islam is an oxymoron, because Islam cannot reform and still remain Islam." Discuss this statement, bearing in mind that millions of Muslims live in democracies.

Websites

Centre for the Study of Islam and Democracy--http://www.islam-democracy.org/

Council on Foreign Relations (Middle East: Islam and Democracy)--http://www.cfr.org/publication.html?id=7708