Islamic Schools in North America and The Netherlands: Inhibiting or Enhancing Democratic Dispositions?

Abstract

Muslims have resided in Western countries for decades, yet with the possible exception of Canada and the United States, public opinion, especially that of politicians and employers, for much of the twentieth century was that their residence would be a temporary one. In Europe, labor shortages, decolonization, and family reunification and formation over two or three generations would ensure permanent resettlement. In North America, since the late 1960s, expanded immigration policies have facilitated a large influx of Muslims from the Indian subcontinent and beyond. Consequently, for more than two decades, Islam has been one of the fastest growing religions in the West and is Europe’s second largest religion (Merry and Driessen, 2005; Driessen and Merry, 2006).