northcot grant report - islam in eastern europe - salman sheikh, faadil patel

Islam In Europe

By Faadil Patel and Salman

Sheikh

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Prologue – Faadil Patel

As an introduction, it would be fair to say the hardest part of writing this was where to begin. So

much was seen, so much was experienced, so where does the focus lie? The people? Their effect?

The history? The future?

It however, seems like a more appropriate place to start with ourselves. It is fair to say this

experience deeply humbled us and drove us to think about our own outlook on life more than do

anything else. We realised we were horrifically under qualified to write anything really penetrative in

the time we had and with the expertise we lacked. Thus it is important to note this re port is nothing

if not amateur material from two young Muslim men seeking to observe some basic religio-cultural

connections.

Another thing to note was that not all that we learnt was Islamic; there was so much to enjoy and

experience along the way as a consequence of where we went and what we did. We saw some

beautiful places, met a huge mix of people and discovered centuries of history along the way.

However, what we saw was truly worth note. The next thing I would do is thank everyone for what

they did to help us along the way. We were aided along the way by kind, helpful and amazing

people. It is with this that I can say I have hope; we were welcomed in many places and we felt

utterly privileged to meet some of the people we did. The Muslim world divided as it may seem still

holds some form of brotherhood and togetherness that neither language nor appearance could

surpass.

Special acknowledgments shall be at the end of the report, but with that I believe our excuses and

procrastinations must come to an end, and we may begin.

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Local Business and Islam

It is fair to say the integration of local Muslims into cities has had an impact on its local business. I

will split this section into two parts; significant Muslim districts and expanding business.

Malmo and Berlin both contained significant districts with Middle Eastern or Turkish ties to them.

Berlin had a set of small businesses with themes of Turkish food and lifestyle shops in the district of

Kreuzberg in the south. We were informed the district was known as “Little Istanbul” which reflected

the large Turkish immigrant population that had been settled in Berlin since the Second World War.

Malmo was different to this; there were several different nationality shops ranging from Iranian

origin to Arab origin, from moroccan to Turkish. Malmo in recent times has been a mixing pot of

nationalities and this showed in the expansion of local business with a Middle Eastern background. It

was from here we purchased dates in order to break our fast, as is the Islamic Tradition.

However, on a much more minor level we would see small Islamic shops opening near mosques. An

example of this was Prague. In Prague, the mosque was small and inconspicuous. However, across

the road from it a small Turkish restaurant had opened up. It was clear from observation that a

response to a burgeoning Islamic community had seen the beginning of establishments of such

themed shops in the area.

This differed greatly to what we saw in Istanbul and Sarajevo to a lesser extent. Businesses

depended on Islam in Istanbul; with the month of Ramadan restaurants near mosques expanded

business immensely in order to accommodate the number of people eating at one time. These

restaurants would not be open in daylight hours and this reflected the change in economic

behaviour due to an Islamic religious highpoint. Sarajevo too saw restaurants expand business

during the night. Away from food businesses in general would open for many hours into the night.

Near the blue mosque stalls were erected and kept going long into the hours of the night,

accommodating many of the people who would have been at work or sleeping during fasting hours.

The same applied to the old town square in Sarajevo.

Thus business can be seen to be affected to a reasonable extent by Islam and Muslim people’s

behaviour as a consequence. The effects can be seen to be maximised based on the proximity to

Muslim communities and based on the size of those Muslim communities.

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Foreign Investment

Foreign investment is not a broad topic; however, there was some clear foreign investment worthy

of note that was easy to see based on our time travelling. This was investment by Saudi Arabia into

rebuilding of communities and mosques in Bosnia and one mosque in Zagreb, Croatia. With the

building of the mosques they also introduced their own cleaner less ornate designed mosques;

which in turned showed the austerity with which they held their religion. The many green flags that

were draped outside the Mosques were not only a hallmark of Saudi Arabian investment but

became also a symbol of support for the resurging Bosnian Mulsim community, whose courage and

resolve in light of their recent dark history has been inspiration to many oppressed communities

around the world.

However, the mosques were outstanding, particularly the King Fahd mosque in Sarajevo and the

Central Mosque in Zagreb. The mosque in Zagreb had employed cutting edge architecture, with a

dome constructed of three triangular segments breaking tradition and becoming one of the first

mosques of its kind. However, the links between architecture and religion shall be discussed later.

Thus, an Islamic connection in this case has led to the rebuilding of towns and cities from one

wealthy country to another torn apart by war.

A model of the towns and mosques of Bosnia rebuilt by Saudi Arabian Investment at the King Fahd Mosque, Sarajevo

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Culture and Islam

Art

The finest examples of Islamic art were on display in Berlin at the Pergamon museum, in the

relatively recent Islamic art wing. This art varied from century old work to graffiti on walls around

the world. One thing united an entire wing of art, spanning large chunks of the world and centuries

of development; Islam. It transcended time, culture and social class uniting distinct artists in their

dedication and love of their religion. This was excellently shown by the integration of both works

with each other, being displayed side by side. It was amazing to see the number of people who

attended the exhibit. Yes; the Pergamon is a well renowned art museum but people taking the time

to look at it and appreciate a more beautiful and sensitive side to Islam not often depicted or spoken

about was in our opinion both touching and inspiring.

Graffiti also took on an Islamic characteristic in places; Malmo had its fair share while Ljubljana had

some too (albeit defaced; see Islamophobia section for more details). This showed an Islamic voice

from a community; while it may not be a refined one it showed a voice nonetheless. The fact that

the new generation choose to voice themselves through their religion is an interesting fact in itself,

though as shall be seen later may also be a worrying one.

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Architecture

The main focus of this section will be mosques. There are many different kinds that we saw, ranging

from two rooms in Prague to the enormous mosques designed by genius Mimar Sinan in Istanbul. I

will focus on the distinction between different mosques in Europe and why they differ s o radically.

Small prayer rooms – Ljubljana, Prague

Cities with a smaller Islamic presence, rather than having large mosques, had rooms in standard

buildings for prayer. This reflects the fact that despite the lack of a substantial Muslim presence,

there is still a growing close community who set up and run these simple prayer rooms. Ljubljana has

faced great issues building a mosque on its outskirts; this reflects in areas without a traditional Islam

there is an opposition for physical manifestations of Islamic belief in their cities and so it follows that

the Muslim community has taken to finding small prayer rooms where they can. It is ironic that it is

often these small rooms, set up wherever there may be space available, that serve as better

community centres than the larger Mosques with a much larger following. To use the prayer room in

Prague as an example, the small prayer room (pictured below), established in an unused stock room

within a shopping centre, served to unite a largely distinct immigrant Muslim community who often

feeling disconnected with their home and their faith in foreign lands find comfort in joining people of

their religion. Indeed this same hospitality was extended to us when we arrived in Prague and we

are forever grateful for it.

The Saudi Arabian mosque

This was covered in foreign investment; the mosques are large powerful buildings with a pale green

interior. Unlike the ornate mosques of Ottoman design, the Saudi design mosques are cleaner, less

complicated and more functional. This reflects the strict Wahabi belief system (one of the four main

Sunni schools of thought) obeyed in Saudi Arabia; mosques tend to reflect a wider range of purposes

as well as just a place of worship. Green flags are prevalent in these mosques; showing where the

investment and design has come from. To a certain extent the mosque in Malmo followed this

model; while it was not explicitly “Saudi modelled” or invested it was a simpl y designed mosque and

resembled the Saudi style mosques far more than it resembled the Ottoman mosques of Istanbul.

The small prayer room in Prague, Czech Republic

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Ottoman Mosques

These were seen mostly in Istanbul, with a few exceptions in Sarajevo. These are magnificent and

large buildings; they are quite similar having mostly been designed by Mimar Sinan. Sinan was

architect to the Sultans, and was said to have had a hand in designing the Taj Mahal. The Ottoman

Mosques are enormous; accommodating a huge Muslim population. The inside is ornate, every inch

decorated with beautifully complex design. The mosques are similar in structure, but interiors differ

in terms of pattern and design. Each mosque has its own character, the Blue Mosque, the Sule iman

mosque, and countless others built for the family of the sultan. Utterly beautiful and architectural

feats in their own right, they are simply breath-taking buildings, attracting millions of tourists each

year. Ottoman mosques are also often a sign of conquest; in Pecs in Hungary the Jakovali Hassan

mosque is still in operation, while the Gazi Kassim Pasha mosque will be spoken about later.

The exterior (above) and the interior (below) of the Zagreb central mosque (left) and the King Fahd Mosque, Sarajevo (right)

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Other points on architecture

Islamic architecture becomes more prevalent, predictably, where there is a larger Islamic presence.

Sarajevo and Istanbul, with large Islamic presences had many completely ordinary buildings that had

an Islamic structure. Berlin being taken as an example, many ordinary shops took on Islamic

characteristics in the “Muslim district” in South Kreuzberg. Thus, where there are more Muslim

people, the buildings themselves take on more of an Islamic structure, regardless of whether the

building is used for worship or not. In this way whole districts had their own distinct style and feel

about them. In fact this very phenomenon has become the subject of much debate, not only

between the two of us but on a wider scale also, with many attempting to conclude whether this is a

good thing or not. However, this will be covered in more depth in the integration and segregation

section of this report.

The Gazi Hassan Pasha Mosque

A building that in our opinion deserved its own individual mention was the Gazi Kassim Pasha

mosque, which following the Christian reclamation of Pecs was converted into a Christian church.

The building is nothing short of an oxymoron; a crucifix hangs above a Mihrab; clear Ottoman

architecture is contrasted with ostentatious church designs. The building felt strange to be in; it was

a complete juxtaposition of two faiths. The dome remained with Christian imagery painted on the

inside. In fact the entire building had in effect been reversed with a new door being placed at the

back of the building in order to face it the other way, i.e away from Mecca. Since then it has

remained a fully functioning Christian Church, but the reminders of its previous Islamic purpose are

impossible to ignore. The use of architecture to enforce a conquest was certainly very interesting

and was seen once more at the Aya Sophia (Hagia Sophia) in Istanbul, a former Church transformed

into a Mosque, now a museum. Both buildings felt truly surreal, confusing visitors with the union of

faiths, yet each intrigued you with their own unique peculiarities.

The exterior (right) and the interior (left) of the Sultan Ahmet Mosque (The Blue Mosque), Istanbul, Turkey

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Images of the Gazi Kassim Pasha Mosque, Pecs, Hungary

1) The statue of Christ over the old Mehrab (top left)

2) The statue of a saint in the corner of the room

underneath the Ottoman style arches (above)

3) The dome of the old Mosque with paintings of the

virgin Mary (bottom left)

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History

We could never talk about the entirety of Islamic history in Europe, especially considering Ottoman

history is a huge topic in itself. However, some basic historical events and details that still resonate

today are worth noting in our opinion.

The Ottoman legacy

Istanbul, Turkey, and its surrounding countries all still bear the symbols of the former Ottoman

Empire. An empire so little is commonly known about, and yet one of the most powerful empires in

history. We were entertained in Istanbul by the Orient Institut and their kind staff, who enlightened

us more about the Ottoman Empire, its history and its importance in shaping the development of

Europe. Little do we know, but drinking coffee was in fact a custom started by the Ottomans. Cengiz,

Selcuk and others that welcomed us so warmly in Istanbul further informed us about the rich

Ottoman history around which they live today. As an aside it is interesting to note that the Turks, a

famously proud nation, still view themselves as the ‘strong Ottomans’ differentiating themselves

from other Muslim communities around the world. The Byzantine Empire was ended by the

Ottomans; and many of the countries we visited had been touched by the empire. We mention this

because this is an area of history that is not taught in any way shape or form, nor is it encouraged

enough. One of the largest empires of all time, spanning to Spain at one point is barely mentioned in

British schooling. We would highly recommend anyone reading this to take some time to even

internet browse some Ottoman history; you shall find it enriching and interesting in equal measure.

The Siege of Vienna

One aspect of the Ottoman Empire we found which shows the sheer size of its empire was an

attempted siege of Vienna. The rebuffing of the Ottoman Empire at Vienna was the last attempt to

expand into Europe. The visit to Vienna was an important juncture in our journey; this was

effectively where modern Islam was no longer what we looked at, and historic Islamic sites became

more and more frequent. Vienna was an important place in European politics throughout the

centuries following this, and so the failure to capture it was a hugely significant moment that

stunted the spread of Islam across Europe.

The Balkans

The history of the Balkans is fraught with violence and tragedy; and once again it is not the purpose

of this report to expound its history. However, based on our own experiences it would be wrong not

to include what was observed. We will focus on the difference between Croatia and Bosnia here. The

countries are indeed close; however the feeling in both is very different. On our way into Croatia we

were quite intimidatingly questioned as to why we held a British passport, as if two people who

were not Caucasian could not be English. The extent of questioning even extended to the birthplaces

of our parents. It was an unnerving experience; and despite being a former part of the Ottoman

Empire there was hardly a trace of it left there. The country had violently rejected the Islamic

heritage; completely unlike Sarajevo, where there was an Ottoman feel in many of the historic

buildings. The sharp contrast between these neighbouring countries reminded us that in order to

accurately assess Islam’s future in Europe it is fundamental that we fully understand its history

across the region.

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The Present

Integration

This topic is an incredibly difficult one; and also an incredibly sensitive one. It concerns a move away

from history and toward what we have seen in areas which have “new Islam”.

How well are Muslims integrating in Europe? The answer is incredibly complex and many prominent

Muslim academics are attempting to answer this question as a matter of urgency. A key area of

focus is the Muslim population in the UK who are looked upon as the most successful story of

Muslim integration within western society. In fact the UK and London in particular is an example for

the world of how many different religions and cultures are perfectly able to live side by side within

the same thriving society.

We would argue that Muslims are indeed integrating into Europe; before this trip started we

observed sport as a sign of Muslims becoming more involved in a sense of national pride. Mesut Ozil

and Sami Khedira are two high profile German Turks, who have elected to play for Germany and are

showing their national pride while also maintaining their religion (Ozil prays Quran before every

match he plays). Mo Farah, a Muslim Somalian immigrant, was a star performer for Team GB in the

London 2012 Olympics and he is as proud of his country as it is of him.

Many Muslims we met spoke their own local language foremost, and these were men older than us,

aged late twenties onward. It may have been a consequence of long term settlement in Europe,

possibly even second generation settlement, or simply by their own merit. By speaking the same

local language as one another they managed, sometime only to a small extent, to cross the national

divides that plague modern Islam so much. However, this issue will be shown to not be fully

surpassed later.

Many of the Muslims currently in Europe came over from Turkey as labour after the Second World

War and learned the local languages quickly. People are increasingly identifying themselves with the

local culture by way of defining themselves by nationality and religion individually. This was

something done by older generations when they were brought into work; it was an advantage to

speak the language of those around you because it made you more valuable to the workforce.

However, as of recently new phenomena have started to take hold in Europe.

Segregation

Having spent roughly 3-4 generations in new European countries, many of the new generation are

turning back toward their ancestral roots and identifying with the land of their grandparents rather

than the country of their birth. For example we were told in Istanbul that children would now be

more likely to watch shows in Turkish across Turkish immigrant communities than in native

languages. People are now looking to rediscover old nationalities in the face of Islam’s current

struggles and bad press. One reason for this may be an increased feeling of being ostracised from

local communities due to increased tensions between the West and Muslim countries in the East.

There is also internal disparity in Islam based on nationality. People are quick to identify themselves

as “Iranian Muslim” and “Moroccan Muslim” ahead of themselves as a Muslim. In Malmo, streets

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took on national characteristics; Iranian shops would tend to be on one street, Arab on another.

Such internal disparity is unfortunately well documented across the Muslim world.

There is also the problem of economic difficulty. The rise of Islamic graffiti is indicative of Islam

becoming prevalent in less economically developed areas, more so of Muslims settling into less

economically developed areas. One theory which has been proposed is that when immigrants were

introduced for work, they moved in on a temporary basis – temporary contracts showed tht neither

employer nor employee planned on sustaining relations for long periods of time – and were

therefore provided with cheaper accommodation in isolated areas away from the local populations.

Thus, when they decided to stay, they were left with the accommodation they originally had. This

however led to a large degree of segregation, as many of these migrant workers would live in the

same areas, close to where they originally worked, surrounded only by other migrants.

It is a worrying factor that Muslims in Europe are increasingly not identifying themselves with the ir

countries of birth; with the current climate toward Islam this creates differences between local

Muslims and locals of other religions.

Islamophobia

A topic that could not be avoided; Islamophobia is something worth discussing. It is important to

note that we were not faced with a large degree of it during our time there; it was a few isolated

incidents during our time which are worthy of note.

A few water balloons were randomly thrown out a window in our direction when we were in Malmo.

It could have been random, not racist; however the anti social behaviour in a town of a lot of media

reported tension is worthy of note. Muammer Kadal, a local Muslim, explained to us that in fact

Malmo was less tense than reported, and that pressure groups in the run up to elections used the

tension as a form of political pressure attempting to show Malmo as proof the recent immigration

policies were failing. Not to say that tensions were nonexistent – Swedish Nationalist Party votes

were 23% in the district of Skone (Malmo being its capital) as opposed to just 8% in the rest of the

country.

Ljubljana had several defaced pieces of Muslim art – for example minarets had phallic images drawn

onto them. It is indicative, combined with the opposition to the mosque, of an islamophobic

presence in Ljubljana currently. The aforementioned problems in Croatia were also worth noting.

However, away from these isolated incidents it is fair to say Europe is warming up to a growing

Muslim presence. With those exceptions we felt perfectly welcome regardless of our faith at every

point on the trip.

Islamaphobic defacing of an originally Islamic mural in Ljubljana, Slovenia

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The Future?

What does the future hold? This is something no one person could answer. In fact, a hundred people

couldn’t answer this question. These questions are pondered and researched in various institutions

across Europe; the question of Islam in Europe will be one to affect our next generation greatly.

Islamic growth combined with events such as the turmoil in the Middle East, the Iraq war, the Arab

Spring and the London and Madrid bombings will lead to an inevitable bringing to attention of

Muslims and Islam in Europe. Islam itself has a lot to go through in the next 50 years; questions like

“Can Islam ever really integrate into the Western Hemisphere” wi ll be continued to be debated. All

we can hope is that slowly and surely Immigrant Muslims come to respect local culture, and that

local culture comes to respect Islamic tradition.

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Acknowledgments

This is a highly important section of this report. So many people have helped us along the way and

they are certainly deserving of recognition.

First and foremost we would like to thank the Haberdashers’ foundation. Our plans to research Islam

across Europe were always fanciful dreams but it was with the help and support of the foundation

through the receipt of the Northcot Grant that it became our reality. Their generosity is very much

appreciated and was fundamental to the trip. We thank them dearly.

Second thanks go to Blerim Ciroca; he gave us connections across Europe that could speak to us

about each local culture. We were welcomed warmly by those he recommended to us; we are

indebted to him for the efforts he went to and for the people he introduced us to.

Muammer Kadal, who gave us a great insight into Malmo and Islam in Sweden.

Cengiz, Selcuk and his brother, who took us around Istanbul and made us feel at home in a foreign

country. Some of the most generous people I have ever met; We pray Cengiz’s mother remains well.

They are always welcome to our hospitality should they visit London.

The Orient Institut Istanbul, who gave up their time to speak to us and entertained our curiosity. A

great institution that has a bright future, their zealous and passionate staffs were helpful in our

quest for answers, providing us with an alternate perspective to our research. We wish them all the

best for the future.

Thanks to our parents too, who funded us and supported us throughout this trip. It really wouldn’t

have been possible without them.

We thank the members of Prague central mosque, who upon finding us wearily stumbling into their

small prayer room when it was time to breakfast fed us and cared for us before we left, despite not

being able to speak any English. Our hearts were genuinely warmed by their hospitality; Islam places

great stead on those who take care of travellers, and the members of Prague central mosque acted

in a most dignified and inspiring way.

Lastly, an unnamed woman in Berlin; a Muslim in a headscarf, who, despite not speaking any English,

walked us 10 minutes out of her way to guide us to a halal restaurant so that we could break our fast

on time. To find such generosity of spirit amongst friends is rare let alone amongst strangers. Thank

you once again.

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Epilogue – A Travellers final words

Salman Sheikh

16 days, 9 countries, 2 men and 1 question – how long before one of us kills the other? It certainly

was a hectic journey and tensions did run high but i’m pleased to say that we both made it back alive

and in fact we made it back as changed men.

This was our first backpacking experience and it introduced me to a new lifestyle. One that in the

following year i would take further to backpacking through South America and East Asia. Having

taken place during Ramadan this trip was an intensely spiritual one forcing me to reflect both on my

life and my religion. I count myself incredible fortunate to have been given the opportunity to have

done so. Travelling has a way of providing you with new ways of looking at the world and i would

really recommend anyone who hasn’t to go backpacking for an extended period of time. Not only

will you learn a whole lot more about the world but you also learn a whole lot more about yourself.

Our research throughout this trip continued to open up more questions than it provided answers

and it is my hope that following our example other young Muslims will pick up where we left off and

start to delve deeper into the many issues that surround Muslim communities across Western

countries today.

Faadil Patel

I almost feel upset writing this; it brings to an end an experience which will stay with me for a very

long time. Many doubted our ability to do this, nor did they think it was possible to learn what we

did in the time given.

The first thing to say is that regardless of the spiritual element, this was an utterly fantastic trip. I

advise those who haven’t travelled like this to give it a go; it is utterly amazing. Backpacking is an

experience akin to nothing else. I experienced tears of laughter; sleepless nights on sleeper trains

and abject fear when followed by a man in Slovenia who was being far too friendly.

Europe has so much to offer; not visiting Europe would be a mistake and I couldn’t recommend it

more.

Spiritually it was an important trip for me. Religion can become an insular thing; but visiting Istanbul

during Ramadan reinforced my faith and sense of religious brotherhood in a way no local mosque

could. At times it felt like an old fashioned pilgrimage; travelling to a final destinati on of religious

significance. Doing the trip while fasting was never going to be easy, and at times it really wasn’t!

But it helped us throughout the trip, adding a spiritual facet that could have been lost along the trip.

Salman and I have taken very different routes in terms of life from the trip; he is backpacking South

America and South East Asia while I am settling in to a law degree at the university of Nottingham.

However, the experience has caused us to want to travel together again, and we shall hopefully do

so in the course of the next year.

I reiterate finishing this report ends a chapter which I’d love to continue. However, I will finish here,

and wish everyone else the best of luck in the future. I hope some day someone who has read this

will continue this research and find more, discover more and inspire more .

northcot grant report - islam in eastern europe - salman sheikh, faadil patel

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