Haideh Moghissi, Saeed Rahnema, and Mark J. Goodman, Diaspora by Design: Muslims in Canada and Beyond

Abstract

This well-timed book is a badly needed Canadian contribution to the fast-growing literature on the "challenge of diversity," pointing to a potentially uneasy relationship between the rise of ethnic/cultural diversity and a variety of public goods, such as having a politically secure country, a well-developed welfare state, a common national identity, and a high degree of social cohesion, social capital, and sense of belonging. It also addresses the issue of Muslim minorities in immigrant-receiving countries, a topic of rising importance. The bulk of research in these two areas has been European, with echoes in Australia and the United States. This book adds Canada to the picture, and shows, if not conclusively, a "Canadian exceptionalism" in contrast to the rest of the industrial world. This contrast puts Diaspora By Design at the heart of the worldwide debate about diversity. The book is the product of an ambitious research project studying the experiences in Canada of four Muslim immigrant groups-Afghans, Iranians, Pakistanis, and Palestinians-compared to those of people of similar backgrounds in a few other countries: Iranians and Pakistanis in the UK, Afghans in Iran, and Palestinians in the Palestinian Territories (West Bank). The first 2 chapters provide the background information for the project, as well as sociodemographic information on the groups under study in the 4 countries. Chapters 3-7 tackle some important and interesting aspects of life in the diaspora: family and spousal relations, religious identities and identification, youth, socioeconomic integration and senses of belonging. The authors approach these issues against the background of misperceptions about Muslims in the West, such as that Muslims constitute one homogeneous group and that their attitudes and behaviours are primarily dictated by religious conviction. The book also gives some indications of "Canadian exceptionalism" by pointing to some differences between how things are in this country and in Europe, where Muslim immigrants face a much harsher environment. Drawing on census information, data from a special survey, and a large number of interviews, the book provides a rich and extensive