When the ‘Other’ becomes ‘Us’: the future of Muslims and Islam in Europe

Whether one regards it positively or negatively, it is clear that the Muslim presence and the space that Islam is currently negotiating in the European public sphere are having significant impacts on the way that Europe thinks of itself: both as a continent and in member states. What does this mean for European societies, when the “Them” becomes “Us”? What sort of diversity are European societies prepared to accept already, and what is contentious? Are Muslims required to “reform” in order to fit within the parameters of European societies, or is this unnecessary? How should Muslims be represented in Europe, and what forms of representation can European societies manage within their pre-existing political systems?