Islam and the West: Annual Report on the State of Dialogue

<strong>Islam</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>West</strong>: <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> on <strong>the</strong> State of Dialogue
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Citizenship <strong>and</strong> Integration
Box 4.4
The Imperative of Integration
Daniel Sachs
Daniel Sachs is CEO of Proventus, a privately held Swedish investment company. In 2007 he became a member
of <strong>the</strong> European Council on Foreign Relations, a pan-European think tank.
The future of European prosperity <strong>and</strong> democracy depends on whe<strong>the</strong>r we can create a new industrial base <strong>and</strong> successfully
integrate new Europeans, including <strong>the</strong> continent’s growing Muslim minority. If we are not able to extend prosperity to
<strong>the</strong> many, we risk a backlash against our open society. If we do not succeed in integrating minorities, <strong>the</strong> result will be
radicalization <strong>and</strong> polarization between <strong>the</strong>m <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> majority populations. The breeding ground for extremist, racist
<strong>and</strong> protectionist ideas is, unfortunately, more fertile than it has been in a long time.
In <strong>the</strong> US, <strong>the</strong> difference in income between <strong>the</strong> highest paid <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> average wage earner is now at <strong>the</strong> same level
as in <strong>the</strong> 1920s, <strong>and</strong> social mobility is decreasing. The same trend towards socio-economic segregation is visible in
Europe, but we are not prepared to accept such great differences, <strong>and</strong> in reality choose unemployment in preference
to wages that are too low.
The challenge is to find a level that renders entry into <strong>the</strong> labour market easier without at <strong>the</strong> same time ab<strong>and</strong>oning <strong>the</strong>
European tradition of equality. In any case, with a strong industrial base, <strong>the</strong> prerequisite for avoiding polarization is better.
The majority of immigrants in Europe come from adjacent regions <strong>and</strong> many of <strong>the</strong>m are Muslims. The relationship
between Muslim minorities <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> majority populations is characterised by distrust. A recent poll conducted by Harris
Interactive for <strong>the</strong> Financial Times shows that 30% to 40% of <strong>the</strong> population of <strong>the</strong> major European countries regard
Muslims as a security threat, <strong>and</strong> would object if <strong>the</strong>ir children wished to marry a Muslim. We regularly witness clashes
between <strong>the</strong> secularized principles of European societies <strong>and</strong> Muslim minorities.
To reduce tensions <strong>and</strong> facilitate integration, we must clarify what it implies to be a European. Europe is far more than
ageographicaldetermination.Itisanenlightened<strong>and</strong>secularidea–evenifithasreligiousroots–withliberal<strong>and</strong>
democratic values at its core. European communities are full of historical traditions <strong>and</strong> cultural codes, but integration
should mean integration into an idea ra<strong>the</strong>r than into a specific culture.
Freedom of expression, <strong>the</strong> equal value of all individuals, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> right to openly question <strong>and</strong> criticize – <strong>the</strong>se principles
must always overrule particular cultural practices or interpretations of <strong>the</strong> word of God.
To succeed at integration, a society has to make it possible for <strong>the</strong> citizen to belong to <strong>the</strong> minority <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> majority at
<strong>the</strong> same time. On <strong>the</strong> one h<strong>and</strong>, all Europeans must have equal opportunities <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> unquestionable right to exercise
<strong>the</strong>ir culture <strong>and</strong> nurture <strong>the</strong>ir uniqueness. On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r h<strong>and</strong>, <strong>the</strong> individual must have <strong>the</strong> equally unquestionable
responsibility of sharing <strong>and</strong> respecting <strong>the</strong> fundamental democratic, liberal <strong>and</strong> humanistic values that have formed
<strong>the</strong> contemporary European idea.
We should always strive for integration, ra<strong>the</strong>r than assimilation into a dominant majority or <strong>the</strong> formation of enclaves
by minorities. But integration is an encounter that presupposes motivation on both sides. Without strong mutual motivation,
minorities <strong>and</strong> majorities alike risk facing a less prosperous, democratic <strong>and</strong> humanistic Europe.