Introduction

This chapter begins by positioning this study in the context of the global rise of alt-right politics, which has led to the denigration and vilification of minority groups, especially Muslims. It then outlines how, since the end of the Cold War, Islam and Muslims have become the new Other to fear. With the advent of Islamic fundamentalist attacks on European cities, Muslims in Europe have become Othered and risk-assessed as a potential security threat. Alongside this, the increasing surge of Muslim immigrants and refugees to Europe has exacerbated the existing European secular-religious divide. This chapter engages with the work of Jürgen Habermas to understand how this divide can be bridged. Habermas’ work brings forth important ideas relating to recognition, intersubjective communication and integration. The aim of the research is then stated, which is to explore Muslim everyday recognition experiences in Europe. Utilising Axel Honneth’s (1995) theory of recognition alongside empirical sociology, this study explores the recognition and integration experiences of Muslims in different social spheres in Ireland, and in doing so, unearths universal findings translatable to the wider European context. The chapter ends with a note on the empirical methodology deployed and by outlining the book’s structure.