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Myths about Islam in Europe

[Brookings Institution] Justin Vaisse - The riots in France in November 2005 had nothing to do with Islam, and everything to do with the social and economic conditions of largely immigrant communities. Muslim groups, who tried to play a mediating role, discovered themselves to be irrelevant and powerless. The 15 to 17 million persons of Muslim background currently in the EU-27 countries (population: 500 million) are anything but a cohesive group. To speak of "a Muslim community" is simply misleading. True, European birthrates are generally low, and birthrates among immigrant groups are often high. But in the latter group, they actually fall rapidly after their arrival and among subsequent generations, as they tend to conform to the national norm. In some countries like France or Ireland, general fertility rates are comparable to that observed in the U.S., around 2 children per woman. Finally, immigration to the EU is more tightly controlled. It is doubtful that from about 3 to 4% today, potential Muslims could number more than 6% in the coming decades.
2008-09-17 01:00:00
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