How ordinary people view Muslim group rights in Britain, the Netherlands, France and Germany: significant ‘gaps’ between majorities and Muslims?

Abstract

Taking four countries-Britain, the Netherlands, France and Germanywith distinct state approaches and public debates over accommodating Muslims, we study the views of ordinary people from the majority and Muslim populations on Muslim group rights. We compare their responses to questions on mosque-building, teachers wearing religious symbols, and religious classes in schools, to determine whether there is a significant 'gap' between the majority and Muslim minorities. We find highly significant 'gaps' between the majorities and Muslims over Muslim group rights in all countries, with the majorities less supportive. Importantly, it is a shift by the majority population against Muslim group rights that produces this 'gap' as the question moves from provision for Christians to Muslims, while Muslims hold similar views over rights for Christians and their own religion. In Britain and Germany, the two countries where church/state relations privilege Christianity over other religions, majorities especially support Christian over Muslim group rights. The British findings are remarkable, because a country which substantially grants and has the most supportive public debate for Muslim group rights, produces the largest 'gaps' between its majority and Muslims. We think this is due to political context, where in contrast to the Netherlands, there is no outlet for political opposition to Muslim group rights.ARTICLE HISTORY

Contested terrain: explaining divergent patterns of public opinion towards immigration within Europe

“…The ninth article, authored by Schlueter, Masso, and Davidov (2020), 'What factors explain anti-Muslim prejudice? A comparative assessment of Muslim population size, institutional characteristics and immigration-related media claims', examines potential explanations that could account for differences between countries in levels of anti-Muslim prejudice (Statham 2016). The results indicate that a larger share of Muslims in the population, more liberal integration policies and greater state support of religion are all associated with lower levels of negative attitudes toward Muslim immigration.…”

What factors explain anti-Muslim prejudice? An assessment of the effects of Muslim population size, institutional characteristics and immigration-related media claims

“…However, while a large body of the literature has studied negative sentiments towards immigrants in general, only few studies exist that focus on variations in negative attitudes towards Muslim immigrants in particular (Fetzer and Soper, 2005). But it is this latter group of immigrants and their descendants that currently represent a prime target of negative attitudes among many citizens of European nation states (see, e.g., Strabac and Listhaug 2008;Helbling 2014;Statham 2016; see also the study of Heath and Richards, 2018 in this volume).…”

Religious Fundamentalism and Radicalization Among Muslim Minority Youth in Europe

“…The large diversity makes it problematic to speak of a single Muslim “community” in Europe, or in one particular European country. Yet, within and across countries, Muslims with a strong religious group identification and a strict religious orientation can be expected to show important similarities in beliefs, values, and norms for behavior (e.g., Statham, 2016).…”