Conventional and Unconventional Muslim Participation As a Response to Securitization in Europe

Concerns about the impact of immigration, integration and counterterrorist policies implemented after 9/11 have produced various theoretical and empirical studies that offer conflicting arguments and conclusions. Pessimists commonly assume that these policies fuel resentment and a sense of relative deprivation among Muslim communities in Europe – leading to social isolation, political distrust and, ultimately separatism and radicalization. More optimistic studies demonstrate that the majority of Muslims in Europe seek peaceful integration and are motivated in their political involvement by the same general factors that influence the political disposition of non-Muslims.  Against this background, I argue in this paper that securitization affects the mobilization patterns of Muslims in two ways that seem paradoxical but actually complement each other. First, it hampers the democratic inclusion of Muslims into the polity by erecting a series of barriers (such as limited actual citizenship rights, overt political discrimination, suspicion towards the emergence of a “Muslim voting bloc”). Second, securitization has provided new incentives and new opportunities for Muslims to mobilize. Both conventional and unconventional forms of participation are facilitated by social movements and mediating institutions (such as ethnic/religious organizations) that have emerged as a response to concerns about discrimination and exclusion. Muslims in Europe are thus simultaneously marginalized and mobilized. As a result, the engagement of Muslims in electoral and non-electoral activities is increasingly diverse, ranging from apathy to protest politics, and ultimately separatism and/or radicalization.