Introduction: Muslims and Social Movements in Europe

Abstract

This book is about the participation of Muslim activists within the alter-globalisation movement, the worldwide social movement against neo-liberalism characterised by the slogan ‘Another world is possible’. Muslim participation in this movement was marked by contrasting reactions on either side of the English Channel. On the whole, Muslims were welcomed and encouraged in Britain by other activists and leaders in the movement. Yet, in France they largely faced incomprehension and hostility. The subtitle of the book (Another World but with Whom?) is a reference to this apprehension and paraphrases a newspaper article published in 2004 in which Muslim involvement in the movement was questioned by the leader of France’s most well-known anti-racist organisation SOS Racisme.¹ Muslim participation in the alter-globalisation movement was therefore a contentious issue in France which even attracted some national media interest. The reference to a religious identity posed a dilemma for some in the movement in Europe, while for others this constituted an opportunity. In fact, the levels of participation, the reactions to it and the eventual outcomes were all very different in the two countries studied. This book explains why and explores how progressive social movements, traditionally populated by secular left-wing activists, deal with religious pluralism and the novel reality of those who identify as Muslims.