"We are happy to be Muslims in Europe," says Mustafa ef. Ceric, the spiritual leader of Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Despite the recent Balkan wars the region can still draw on its own experiences of tolerance and inter-faith harmony, says Ceric. Video of the interview with Mustafa ef. Ceric can be viewed on the "New Europe Review" Web site: www.neweuropereview.com. Voice of America can make broadcast-quality video available on demand to media outlets outside of the United States.
Turkish scholar Mustafa Akyol maintains that Islam in Europe is searching for a new self-interpretation, and suggests a number of steps Muslims and Westerners can take to prevent "a clash of civilizations." Historian Douglas Streusand stresses that it is not the specter of terrorism but of Muslim demographic explosion that worries some Europeans, and discusses development of a European Islam as a scenario for Europe's future.
Scholar Jonathan Laurence explores largely subdued reactions to the headscarf ban in French schools. "Having avoided an obvious backfire of the ban, we may well see a further normalization of the Muslim presence in France," writes Laurence. Russian expert Alexei Malashenko examines "the Islamic factor in Russia." "Islam is an important factor in Russia's political life, but the ruling establishment is incapable, or unwilling, to understand its impact on the stability of the whole country," contends Malashenko.
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