<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>This paper proposes a discussion of the Muslim presence in modern Western Europe and the trends that accompany it. The author argues that such debates could not be conducted in the absence of Muslims themselves and introduces Ziauddin Sardar (a modern British Muslim intellectual) and his thinking on “multiculturalism”. Sardar’s vision on the matter radically differs from the traditional interpretations, which usually involve European Union policies regarding ethnic minorities. Sardar’s theory is built on a broader context and develops such concepts as “diversity”, “identity”, and “power”. His approach transcends the boundaries of a limited geographic area and could be applied to non-Western regions. The author attempts to apply it to Kazakhstan, in an attempt to see how it could work in the Kazakh sociocultural context. The main focus is on the ethnic and religious characteristics of the Republic. Finally, the paper contains some suggestions for the further development of Sardar’s theory of multiculturalism. The conclusions offer a justification of the possibility and necessity to transform the idea of “multiculturalism” into “interculturalism”.</p></abstract>

This paper proposes a discussion of the Muslim presence in modern Western Europe and the trends that accompany it. The author argues that such debates could not be conducted in the absence of Muslims themselves and introduces Ziauddin Sardar (a modern British Muslim intellectual) and his thinking on “multiculturalism”. Sardar’s vision on the matter radically differs from the traditional interpretations, which usually involve European Union policies regarding ethnic minorities. Sardar’s theory is built on a broader context and develops such concepts as “diversity”, “identity”, and “power”. His approach transcends the boundaries of a limited geographic area and could be applied to non-Western regions. The author attempts to apply it to Kazakhstan, in an attempt to see how it could work in the Kazakh sociocultural context. The main focus is on the ethnic and religious characteristics of the Republic. Finally, the paper contains some suggestions for the further development of Sardar’s theory of multiculturalism. The conclusions offer a justification of the possibility and necessity to transform the idea of “multiculturalism” into “interculturalism”.

Desperately Seeking Understanding: A New Perspective on Multiculturalism

Journal of Nationalism, Memory & Language Politics

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

{"article-title":"Desperately Seeking Understanding: A New Perspective on Multiculturalism"}

This paper proposes a discussion of the Muslim presence in modern Western Europe and the trends that accompany it. The author argues that such debates could...

Answers	%
I will be against that because we must hold on to the ancestral faith	45.8
I will not object because every person has a right for freedom of conscience	27.4
I will be indifferent to that decision	17.3
I will accept that decision with understanding because I have changed my own affiliation	3.9
I do not know	5.6

Response	Kazakh	Russian
Islam	96.9	2.3
Orthodox Christianity	1.1	92.9
Catholicism	-	0.6
I’m an atheist	1.1	3.2
No response	0.2	0.3
Don’t know	0.8	0.6

Country	% of the population
France	66
Germany	55
The UK	53
Italy	43
The Netherlands	88
Spain	74

Country	% of the population
France	85
Germany	77
The UK	78
Italy	43
The Netherlands	96
Spain	86

Country	Estimated size in 2016	% of the populations
France	5,720,000	8.8
Germany	4,950,000	6.1
The UK	4,130,000	6.3
Italy	2,870,000	4.8
The Netherlands	1,210,000	7.1
Spain	1,180,000	2.6

Desperately Seeking Understanding: A New Perspective on Multiculturalism

Published Online: Jul 12, 2019

Page range: 26 - 43

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jnmlp-2019-0003

Keywords
Ziauddin Sardar, multiculturalism, Kazakhstan, interculturalism

© 2019 Yelena V. Muzykina, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Question: “If your relatives decide or have decided already to change their religion, how would you react to it?”

What is your religion (by ethnicity)?

Would you be willing to accept Muslims as members of your family?

Would you be willing to accept Muslims as neighbors?

European countries with the biggest Muslim population

Desperately Seeking Understanding: A New Perspective on Multiculturalism

Published Online: Jul 12, 2019

Page range: 26 - 43

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jnmlp-2019-0003

KeywordsZiauddin Sardar, multiculturalism, Kazakhstan, interculturalism

© 2019 Yelena V. Muzykina, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Question: “If your relatives decide or have decided already to change their religion, how would you react to it?”

What is your religion (by ethnicity)?

Would you be willing to accept Muslims as members of your family?

Would you be willing to accept Muslims as neighbors?

European countries with the biggest Muslim population

Keywords
Ziauddin Sardar, multiculturalism, Kazakhstan, interculturalism