Effie Fokas - Böcker

This book includes a collection of studies focused on engagements of religious minorities with the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Beginning with an introduction of the global importance of the ECtHR as a standard setter in the protection of religious minority rights, the subsequent five chapters entail critical assessments of some of the Court’s case law dealing with religious minority claims (exploring their clarity and consistency – or lack thereof – and controversiality). In the process these texts impart a nuanced perspective on the challenges the Court faces in striking the right balance between protecting individual freedoms and respecting state rights to manage ‘nationally’ and ‘culturally’ sensitive matters. The second set of contributions makes readers privy to the varied results of this balancing act on the ground. Specifically, it offers empirically-based insight into the impact of the Court’s religion-related case law on grassroots religious minority groups working to defend their individual and communal rights. The chapters taken together deepen our understanding of the ECtHR in its approach to and impact on religious minorities and offer a rare vantage point on the Court, from the messages its generates to the messages received by religious minorities at the grassroots level.The chapters in this book were originally published in Religion, State & Society, the Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs and Democratization.

The Routledge Handbook of Religion and Politics in Europe is an outstanding reference source to this engaging subject area. A number of developments at the intersection between religion and politics in Europe, including the terrorist attacks echoing that of 9/11, the rise of the far right and populism linked to anti‑Islamic rhetoric in the context of migration of Muslims into Europe, and a series of controversies to do with free speech and hate speech, have served as a catalyst for a surge in interdisciplinary scholarship. The relationships between religion and politics are increasingly recognised as central to our understanding of contemporary European life and are investigated from a growing variety of approaches and perspectives. Comprising 31 chapters by a team of international contributors, this handbook is divided into three parts:Theoretical underpinnings and methodological perspectivesActors, policies, and institutionsEmerging themes and current debatesWithin these sections, central issues, debates, and problems to religion and politics are examined, including: migration, religion in the city, digital religion, environmentalism, humour, celebrity and leadership, activism, authority, citizenship, mediatisation, secularism, judicialisation, marketisation, political economy, security, European parliament, human rights, party politics, populism, feminism, political violence, hate speech, bioethics, pandemics and health, cults, race, equality, and inequality. The Routledge Handbook of Religion and Politics in Europe is essential reading for students and researchers in religious studies and politics. This handbook will also be very useful for those in related fields, such as cultural studies, media studies, anthropology, and sociology.

Events over recent years have increased the global interest in Islam. This volume seeks to combat generalisations about the Muslim presence in Europe by illuminating its diversity across Europe and offering a more realistic, highly differentiated picture. It contends with the monist concept of identity that suggests Islam is the shared and main definition of Muslims living in Europe. The contributors also explore the influence of the European Union on the Muslim communities within its borders, and examine how the EU is in turn affected by the Muslim presence in Europe. This book comes at a critical moment in the evolution of the place of Islam within Europe and will appeal to scholars, students and practitioners in the fields of European studies, politics and policies of the European Union, sociology, sociology of religion, and international relations. It also addresses the wider framework of uncertainties and unease about religion in Europe.

Events over recent years have increased the global interest in Islam. This volume seeks to combat generalisations about the Muslim presence in Europe by illuminating its diversity across Europe and offering a more realistic, highly differentiated picture. It contends with the monist concept of identity that suggests Islam is the shared and main definition of Muslims living in Europe. The contributors also explore the influence of the European Union on the Muslim communities within its borders, and examine how the EU is in turn affected by the Muslim presence in Europe. This book comes at a critical moment in the evolution of the place of Islam within Europe and will appeal to scholars, students and practitioners in the fields of European studies, politics and policies of the European Union, sociology, sociology of religion, and international relations. It also addresses the wider framework of uncertainties and unease about religion in Europe.

Europe is a relatively secular part of the world in global terms. Why is this so? And why is the situation in Europe so different from that in the United States? The first chapter of this book - the theme - articulates this contrast. The remaining chapters - the variations - look in turn at the historical, philosophical, institutional and sociological dimensions of these differences. Key ideas are examined in detail, among them: constitutional issues; the Enlightenment; systems of law, education and welfare; questions of class, ethnicity, gender and generation. In each chapter both the similarities and differences between the European and the American cases are carefully scrutinized. The final chapter explores the ways in which these features translate into policy on both sides of the Atlantic. This book is highly topical and relates very directly to current misunderstandings between Europe and America.