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A Brief Insight into Muslim Experience in Ireland

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We live in a globalized world, where different forms and shapes of globalization have changed our societies and brought about new challenges. One of these challenges is ignorance; ignorance about the other; ignorance of other peoples, cultures, religions. That ignorance leads to fear, yet mostly based on false premises. Ignorance of this kind can only be overcome through dialogue, education and understanding.Although there are some who might argue to the contrary, I reject the notion that Muslims are the enemy of the Western civilization. In this respect, it should be underlined that Muslims constitute a certain percentage of the European population. On the other hand, we have to make a distinction between those who claim that Muslims represent a threat to the West, and those who advocate that Muslims present a challenge to the West. At this point it should be marked that Muslims, of course, are not a threat; but they could be a challenge, since they have the potentiality of coming to terms with the modern contemporary world.

Background to Muslims in Ireland:

Ireland has rapidly become a multicultural and multiracial society. This upheaval gave platform to the existence of diversity of religions and ethics of various communities residing in Eire. The Irish experience in this regard shares manifest commonalities with the experience of other European countries. Nonetheless, there is much to learn form the Irish situation.
The Muslim Modern existence in Eire can be traced back to the early 1950s. The first trickle of Muslims was made of students from South Africa followed Muslim students from India, Malaysia and the Gulf states.

The 1990s, the era of the Celtic Tiger, witnessed a dramatic economic upheaval that encouraged professional immigration to Ireland. It became possible to find employment in a wide range of specializations e.g. medical profession, information technology, computer science, meat industry, etc. Arab investment started to trickle in Eire known for quality beef production and breeding horses.

A great percentage of the Muslim community in Ireland is represented by immigrants. The Muslim community in Ireland represents a particular religious and ethnic minority in the Irish society. Within the last few decades, the Muslim community has become the fastest growing religious minority within the country that has a considerable contribution in social, economic, and ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue. The Muslim community in Eire is employed in a wide range of professions e.g. medical doctors estimated to be 2000, business men mainly in ethnic restaurants, meat industry and Halal food. In Educational places there is a big number of Muslim students especially in the Royal College of Surgeons. With regard to inter-faiths dialogue, Muslims have chairs in the three-faith forum and they are involved in the Irish government project of dialogue. They cooperate with Irish churches on commonalities and when they disagree then it is the reciprocal respect.

The fastest growing sector in the Islamic community is represented by young and adult children socializing in a home environment dominated by parents’ culture reinforced by institutions set up by the immigrant community. In the meantime they are educated in a European system of education creating a new balanced model and a significantly important bridging generation. Despite accommodating only a certain percentage of Muslim children, the existence of two Muslim national schools has an indispensable contribution in this regard. In addition, it indicates the level of understanding, flexibility, trust and confidence. Upon joining the second level of education, Muslim students encounter a number of issues e.g. prayer and hijab. These issues are usually sorted out respectively.

When the spectrum of integration was enlarged to the extent that it almost touched every aspect of Muslims’ life, there was a dire need for an association representing all Muslims in Ireland. Hence the Irish Council of Imams has been formed to facilitate the process of integration and accommodation.
This positive Muslim integration into the Irish society has been welcomed by accommodation at various levels. This has been manifested many times. The resurgence of intolerance and discrimination against Muslims after September 11, coupled with related racist tendencies challenging the exercise of fundamental human rights and freedoms of Muslims in some Western countries had no serious impact on Muslims living in Ireland. When the Irish Muslims confronted a critical phase around the time of 11/9, the Irish people made a difference. They expressed their solidarity with Muslims in Ireland. Some visited the Islamic centre and handed over letters of solidarity. Some families visited the ICCI and presented flowers. They all passed one message ‘This is not you. We are with you.’; It is said a friend in need is a friend indeed. From our side, we were the first people in Ireland to condemn the 11/9.

By and large the Muslim existence in Eire has been enabled due to the following factors:

There are huge amount of historical and traditional commonalities between the Muslim immigrants and the Irish natives. For instance, most of the Muslim immigrants in Ireland come from countries that, just like Ireland, suffered long decades of occupation. The strong traditional concept of family is one of the major common grounds.
The Irish people by nature are prepared to pluralism. The Irish government is eager to maintain pluralistic atmosphere.

Muslims easily coexist. Coexistence is something that Muslims has been experiencing throughout most, if not all, their historical eras. The Quran provides the constitution therefore. God said: “Allah forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just.”(60:8 Trans.)

The Muslim leadership in Ireland:

The Muslim leadership in Ireland is keen to keep the Muslim community an organically integrated part of the broader Irish society. Cohesiveness of the whole Irish society has been one of the main concerns of Muslim leaders. When the resurgence of intolerance and discrimination against Muslims after September 11 occurred in various parts of the world, Muslim leaders promptly explained their view regarding that event and appealed to Muslims not to react or interact if they were exposed to any racial attitude. Nevertheless, they were advised to report it to statutory bodies.

The Muslim community in Ireland is made of qualified immigrants and natives. Education and qualifications are essential achievements encouraged by Islam. Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: ‘Seeking knowledge is an incumbent duty of every Muslims.’
Islam, in a nutshell, means to submit your will to the will of your Creator, among whose attributes are The Most Merciful and The Most Gracious. Muslims call their Creator, as one of His Fair Names stated in the Islamic literature, The Peace. The concept of peace is firmly rooted in the Muslims' life. Moreover, the fact that the Muslim greeting is “peace be upon you” reiterates the hymns of peace in all aspects of the Muslim life.

Coexistence:

Islam provides a solid foundation for mutual coexistence. God said: “O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwâ (i.e. he is one of the Muttaqûn (the pious. See V.2:2). Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware”(49:13) Prophet Muhammad said: “O mankind! You all come from Adam and Adam was created from dust. Let there be no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab nor let there be superiority of a white over a black.”

Nevertheless we have ample reason to be concerned. In spite of all the above mentioned we might hear an individual voice or read an individual article of prejudice. They aim to create religious rift. Muslims have become subject of non-transparent debates driven by personal interest aiming to impose, on Muslims, either to accept the attitude of victim or face up difficulties. They aim to disturb our peace.

As a matter of fact the question of immigration and integration has been used and abused. Some voices have employed this question to attain personal interest. Hence we have to be alerted. They create fear and then they endeavour to exploit it by perpetually accusing Muslims of not integrating and forming their own ghettos. In fact they are stigmatizing a portion of the Irish population. Irish indigenous people form certain percentage of the Muslim population in Ireland. A fact that makes it incumbent upon us to reconsider our terms. Another termlogical dilemma. Is it integration or contribution or both of them?

These voices are the real enemy of pluralism but they just conceal their ideology. They always show the old-new performance of the play of social security. But social security can never be attained by a sole security approach. The real recipe of social security is equality, social institutions, civic education, job opportunity and confidence- building policies.
At this point it should be marked clearly that we are facing a major problem of terminology i.e. the appliance of the exclusive WE. It is very unhealthy term as it divides people into WE and THEY imposing a unique dilemma for their Irish fellow citizens born and bred and those who have become Muslims. Let alone the naturalized Irish Muslims. Today we are taking about the second Muslim generation and I wonder under what category they could be classified. Will they be part of THEY or part of WE? In addition, the Muslim immigrants perceive themselves as part of WE. Amongst all that emerges the dire need for a new WE, an inclusive WE that would encompass all people in Ireland apart from their race and faith. Such WE will enable us to come together to enjoin the right to work, to housing and the right to respect facing all types of racism.

At this point it should be stated that Muslims should combat the shocking behaviour executed in their name. And the non-Muslims, in turn, should at all the time remember that extremism is not the exclusive practice of a certain group. Stereotyping is a form of oppression that results in suppression that leads to explosion. In some parts of the world acts of violence against innocent people justified by their perpetrators have created an unhealthy atmosphere that allowed Islamophobia to flourish. To stigmatize every Muslim for a crime perpetrated by a Muslim is just like stigmatizing every Christian with a crime perpetrated by a Christian. It is not fair and it is absurd because doing that one will be increasing the number of his enemy and executing oppressive procedures. Let alone the fact that this approach distorts the image of Islam and falsifies religious facts. God said:”O you who believe! Make not unlawful the Taiyibât (all that is good as regards foods, things, deeds, beliefs, persons) which Allah has made lawful to you, and transgress not. Verily, Allah does not like the transgressors.”(5:87 Trans.)

In the light of the above situation emerges the urgency for a revolution of trust standing on two solid foundations; namely firm belief in one’s convictions and appreciation of one’s heritage. It, then, makes it crystal clear that compromising is pointless. Colouring the whole country with one colour is really boring. Diversity is enrichness.
Despite that it could be rightly argued that Europe has not been successful in its bid for integration, since while the objective was to create multi-cultural societies, exclusive societies were born, I have to state that Ireland has managed to change the Muslims’ status. Muslims, in Ireland, feel at home. Such a feeling could not have been attained without giving the Muslims a chance to have their role. For instance, the Irish government took the initiative and contacted the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland asking for the Muslim submission in relation to the amendment to the constitution on the protection of children. Muslims have a sense of being part of the larger community in which they live, take part in all aspects of life and participate in the decision making process. In other words, Muslims in Ireland are part of a cohesive society, where mutual understanding between diverse groups facilitates not only the promotion of tolerance, but more importantly mutual respect for differing view points and backgrounds. Ireland is the only country that has a minister for integration. The more Muslim communities will feel at home and will be truly integrated to the Western societies where they live, the easier it will be to marginalize extremism, to defuse radicalism and to overcome the perceptions of being left-out, being stigmatized and being rejected.

In our today’s world there are many voices calling for integration, yet in two different directions:

First: The trend that encourages assimilation even though it might lead to giving up the religious and cultural peculiarities of assimilated communities.

Second: The trend that encourages setting an equilibrium between the requirements of integration and the requirements of preserving religious and cultural peculiarities. The latter is the Irish choice.

At international level integration is fraught with traps and could end up instead as assimilation as was the case for Muslims in some other European countries. Hence, regulations and rules that organize the process of integration in the right, moderate and productive channel should be set to prevent isolation, as well as, assimilation. Muslim integration should be dependent on preserving Muslim distinctiveness i.e. creed, rituals, morality and Islamic rules portraying flexibility with regard to Islamic rules liable to Ijtihad [1].
Muslim integration should be practically interpreted as positive integration wherewith Muslims attain material and spiritual accomplishments in favour of the societies they are related thereto.

It is worth mentioning here that integration means partnership in civilization which means involvement in development via giving and taking. It also means contribution and keenness to attain accomplishments of public interest. Integration should be accomplished in the light of laws that regulate European societies. Efforts should be exerted by Muslim organizations and state agencies to qualify Muslim immigrants to perform their role in the process of positive integration and they should also exert effort to qualify the natives to perform their role in the process of accommodation. Integration is a reciprocal responsibility that should be shared by Muslims as individuals and organizations on the one hand, and the rest of European society, both individuals and organizations, on the other hand. The successful process of integration and accommodation in Ireland led to the rapid increase of the Muslim community in Ireland. In fact such a rapid increase is a positive indication. Had the Muslim not been happy here they would not have rapidly increased and had the Irish natives not feel comfortable about it we would not have seen the rapid Muslim increase. It is said there is no utopia and we say we can create our utopia.

This was a presentation delivered at a conference entitled “Race and Immigration in the New Ireland” held in The Keough – Naughton Institute for Irish Studies, University of Notre Dame in the period 14th-17th Oct 2007.