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Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Ottawa 27 April 2009
Europe’s Muslim Women:
Potential, Problems and Aspirations
A seminar by Dr Sara Silvestri
Cambridge University and City University
London
Dr Sara Silvestri
[email protected]
My areas of work
RESEARCH:
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Interdisciplinary (across Internat.Politics and Sociology)
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mainly qualitative + collaboration on quantitative projects
ONGOING PROJECTS and INTERESTS
Muslim political mobilisation and institutions in Europe
European public policies towards religion and Muslim communities
Suspect Communities (counter-terrorism and Irish & Muslims in UK)
Muslim women: potential, aspirations and challenges
Radicalisation & counter-terrorism
Migration, integration and social cohesion
TEACHING:
Political Islam & Muslims in Europe
Religion in Global Politics,
EU, International Relations
POLICY-RELEVANT WORK:
consultant/advisor on Muslims in Europe, intercultural dialogue, counter-terrorism (EuroMed,
EU, UN Alliance of Civilisations, UK gov, think thanks)
Dr Sara Silvestri
[email protected]
Objectives of Muslim Women study
• Charter issues of concern to these women as subjects rather
than objects. Eg. No focus on hijab
• Stress relational experience: to faith (learning paths,
appreciation, practice), minority community, organised Islam,
mainstream society, family, work/school
• Investigate to what extent religions shapes their daily
experiences
• Beyond the “victim” angle: look at “potential”: what they
dream, for themselves and for their children, their
contribution to society
• See if there are recurring trends across countries and
ethnicities and compare to previous research
• Identify issues for future investigation and for policy makers
to bear in mind
Dr Sara Silvestri
[email protected]
Research process
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49 interviews
3 countries (UK, Italy, Belgium)
Questionnaires and interviews
2 research assistants
Mixed sampling method including snowball
Review of diverse literature: Islamic studies,
migration, ethnicity, gender, feminism,
politics, etc
Dr Sara Silvestri
[email protected]
Findings
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Touching human experience
High response rate and gratefulness
Respondents warmly welcomed project and thanked us for talking to them as
individuals, as women
Relationship to faith: love, moral guidance in life, effort to study and understand it,
personal empowerment through access to knowledge of the faith
Belonging to Europe: Pride, appreciation of rule of law and opportunities
Prejudice and discrimination: happen but not defining issue. Mindset of country of
settlement influences
Sophisticated critical approach to community and to society (eg prejudice goes both
ways)
Attempts to renovate community from within tradition
Nuance, no rigid categories (eg Islamist, feminist, disaffected)
Very unexceptional dreams and aspirations
Oppression, self-segregation, low achievement: remain realities but not useful to tackle
them by demonising and attacking community
Overall importance of project: establishing contacts, trust, credibility
Dr Sara Silvestri
[email protected]