ABSTRACT
The 2000s decade in Europe was marked by increasing tensions between national majorities and marginalized Muslim communities. These tensions pale into insignificance compared to the upheaval brought about by the refugee emergency of 2015–2016 and the Jihadist terrorism events of the late 2010s. In this chapter, I start with an overview of the Muslim populations that live in Western countries notably Europe and North America, and discuss critically the “multiculturalism backlash”. I then focus specifically on four European countries with large Muslim populations, notably the Netherlands, Britain, Germany and France, examining how they have interpreted and applied the multicultural idea and how they have dealt with the recent tensions related to the refugee crisis and religiously inspired violent radicalization. In conclusion, I discuss briefly the challenges ahead and in particular the rise of a strident anti-Muslim rhetoric within the far-right in Europe.
