ABSTRACT
Interpretations of social issues in the Islamic sources have always been affected by interaction with surrounding social structures. However, there has in the past been little awareness that this is the case, and as a result Islamic social life has been presented as an absolute divine system. The recent recognition among Muslims of alternative possibilities with regard to the structuring of society, even within the framework of Islam, can be attributed to the fact that the last half of the twentieth century has been an era of widespread migration. In Part I, I identify changes in attitude which might be anticipated as a result of the Muslim experience of migration, asking how Muslims have been perceived by non-Muslims and how Muslims perceive themselves. This leads me to reflect on a number of theoretical and methodological issues relating to the question of continuity and change in Muslim communities in Europe. In Part II I present empirical material which demonstrates the extent to which such changes have in fact taken place among Muslims.
