Islam is a growing presence practically everywhere in Europe. In Italy, however, Islam has met a unique model of state neutrality, religious freedom and church and state collaboration. This book gives a detailed description of the legal treatment of Muslims in Italy, contrasting it with other European states and jurisprudence, and with wider global tendencies that characterize the treatment of Islam. Through focusing on a series of case studies, the author argues that the relationship between church and state in Italy, and more broadly in Europe, should be reconsidered both to secure religious freedom and general welfare. Working on the concepts of religious freedom, state neutrality, and relationship between church and state, Andrea Pin develops a theoretical framework that combines the state level with the supranational level in the form of the European Convention of Human Rights, which ultimately shapes a unitary but flexible understanding of pluralism. This approach should better accommodate not just Muslims' needs, but religious needs in general in Italy and elsewhere.

Islam is a growing presence practically everywhere in Europe. In Italy, however, Islam has met a unique model of state neutrality, religious freedom and church and state collaboration. This book gives a detailed description of the legal treatment of Muslims in Italy, contrasting it with other European states and jurisprudence, and with wider global tendencies that characterize the treatment of Islam. Through focusing on a series of case studies, the author argues that the relationship between church and state in Italy, and more broadly in Europe, should be reconsidered both to secure religious freedom and general welfare. Working on the concepts of religious freedom, state neutrality, and relationship between church and state, Andrea Pin develops a theoretical framework that combines the state level with the supranational level in the form of the European Convention of Human Rights, which ultimately shapes a unitary but flexible understanding of pluralism. This approach should better accommodate not just Muslims' needs, but religious needs in general in Italy and elsewhere.

State, Religion and Muslims: Between Discrimination and Protection at the Legislative, Executive and Judicial Levels brings together academics from different disciplines and offers an in-depth analysis of discrimination in specific areas of life which affects Muslims in Western countries. The volume undertakes a comprehensive examination of the discriminatory practices across 12 countries while situating them in their institutional frameworks. Exploring critical aspects of discrimination against Muslims – in areas such as education, employment, exercise of religion, state relations with religious communities as well as hate crime and hate speech – the volume shows the prevalence of individual, structural and institutional discrimination against Muslims living in Western countries. Contributors are: Amina Easat-Daas, Andrea Pin, Beesan Sarrouh, Camille Vallier, Dieter Schiendlauer, Eva Brems, Ineke van der Valk, Ksenija Šabec, Maja Pucelj, Mario Peucker, Mosa Sayed, Nesa Zimmermann, Niels Valdemar Vinding and Safa ben Saad.

In all countries of the European Union, the Muslim communities, numbering about 15,000,000 people, represent a substantial religious minority, although it is a very varied group, both in terms of religious practice and national origin. The very weight of this minority forces the legal systems to come to terms with its presence. However, these changes are highly diversified and are evolving rapidly, not necessarily towards greater tolerance. This volume provides a brief sketch of these changes, describing the situation of some member countries of the European Union (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and UK) and of one of the enlargement candidate countries, Romania. The book also contains an initial attempt at comparison between European countries and the USA and an overall analysis of the problems posed by the Islamic presence in Europe and the strategies to manage them. This work allows readers to draw some general conclusions on convergences and divergences within the European Union and the factors that determine them.

This volume shows how and why legal empowerment is important for those exercising their religious rights under various jurisdictions, in conditions of legal pluralism. At the same time, it also questions the thesis that as societies become more modern, they also become less religious. The authors look beyond the rule of law orthodoxy in their consideration of the freedom of religion as a human right and place this discussion in a more plurality-sensitive context. The book sheds more light on the informal and/or customary mechanisms that explain the limited impact of law on individuals and groups, especially in non-Western societies. The focus is on discussing how religion and the exercise of religious rights may or may not empower individuals and social groups and improve access to human rights in general. This book is important reading for academics and practitioners of law and religion, religious rights, religious diversity and cultural difference, as well as NGOs, policy makers, lawyers and advocates at multicultural jurisdictions. It offers a contemporary take on comparative legal studies, with a distinct focus on religion as an identity marker.

The Yearbook of Muslims in Europe provides up-to-date factual information and statistics of the situation of Muslims in 46 European countries.

Contents : part one : country reports; part two : analysis; part three : book reviews.

The Yearbook of Muslims in Europe provides an up-to-date account of the situation of Muslims in Europe. Covering 45 countries of Europe in its broader sense, the Yearbook presents a country-by-country summary of essential data with basic statistics and evaluations of their reliability, surveys of legal status and arrangements, organisations, etc. Data have been brought up to date from the previous volume. The Yearbook is an annual reference work for country surveys on Muslims in Europe. It is an important source of reference for government and NGO officials, journalists, and policy makers as well as scholars.

The Yearbook of Muslims in Europe provides up-to-date factual information and statistics of the situation of Muslims in 46 European countries.

The Yearbook of Muslims in Europe provides an up-to-date account of the situation of Muslims in Europe. Covering 46 countries of Europe from the Atlantic to the Urals, the Yearbook consists of three sections: the first section presents a country-by-country summary of essential data with basic statistics with evaluations of their reliability, surveys of legal status and arrangements, organisations, etc. Data have been brought up to date from the first volume. The second section contains analysis and research articles on issues and themes of current relevance written by experts in the field. The final section provides reviews of recently published books of significance. The Yearbook is an important source of reference for government and NGO officials, journalists, and policy makers as well as researchers