Islamophobia in European Cities: Solidarities, Responses and Dilemmas for Young Balkan Muslims

The demise of socialism in Southeast Europe coincided with the breakout of wars and genocidal violence against local Muslim populations. After being displaced and forced to migrate to different European countries, those former socialist citizens quickly developed institutions of sociability and unobtrusively enacted postulates of solidarity. This book brings a spotlight on the “generations after” born to Balkan Muslim families whose repatriation could not take place due to the continuous political instability and insecurity in their homelands. It investigates the new modes of these “second generations” to respond to the current crisis of liberal democracy and rampant Islamophobia in their places of residence. By relating spatial issues to broader religious and political questions, this study shines a light on the civic engagement, religious practices and political sensitivities of young Muslims with Balkan roots in Belgium, Germany, Italy and Poland. The book will be of interest to academics, researchers and policy-makers working in the areas of Islamic Studies, Migration Studies, Anthropology of Religion and Memory Studies.