European Identity - Individual, Group and Society - HumanitarianNet

142 EUROPEAN IDENTITY. INDIVIDUAL, GROUP AND SOCIETYentail violation of basic neutrality). The other option is rather intercultural.In principle, European culture, European identity, has —as we havementioned— Greco-Roman, Christian and Modern contexts which mightseem strange for immigrants of Muslim origin. Strict multiculturalisminsists on mutual respect and, in this sense, leaves Muslim culture on theborderline in the construction of European identity. Going far beyondthis, an intercultural dialogue could be promoted, which could result inan evolved European identity with inserted aspects from the variousimmigrant cultures. The latter would, in turn, feel part of the constructionprocess of European identity and not on the borderline of it 8 .I will now conclude. Nationalisms and fundamentalisms can be onthe borderline: hard adversaries of a European identity we all have topledge our commitment to. However, there are versions of both thenational and the religious which are not only compatible with theconstruction of such identity but which can also positively help to carryit out.8See, in particular, his work Ciudadanía multicultural, Barcelona, Paidós, 1997.