European Muslim Network

There are an estimated 25 million Muslims currently living in Europe. One half of this number has been living in Europe for centuries, though on the continental fringes. The other half, i.e. 12 million people are part and parcel of the emerging European Union. Their presence can be explained by the flow of legal migration in the beginning of the 20th Century from the outposts of the former European colonial empires, as well as the large scale immigration from Turkey and the Maghreb, during the early 1960s…The increasing prominence of this community of faith, which is erroneously perceived as new to Europe, had and still has the effect of being a challenge to prevailing norms and causes collective introspection. On the other hand, it also causes a mixture of fear, suspicion and rejection due to unfortunate events happening on the international stage.

Indeed, the last few years have been characterized by the notion of a potential clash of civilizations, erroneously deducted from the violent confrontations on a worldwide basis.

The members of EMN believe that a new, contextualized approach to the Muslim heritage is crucial in the evolving process of identification and in the context of the challenges of our time.

The EMN calls upon Muslims to realize their responsibility and participate in the construction of an Islam in Europe that is modern, defiant, reflective and self-conscious, for the benefit of the European society at large and in the interest of the Muslim communities in Europe in particular. It is against this background that the European Muslim Network has emerged and aspires to become an important platform of ideas within Europe, a vocal platform for those who are not heard.

It is our aim to honor and promote common values.

It is our goal to demonstrate that Islamic teachings and values are in harmony with the rights and responsibilities of a European Muslim citizen.

The European Muslim Network aims at bringing together Muslim activists and academicians across the continent, who share common concerns and commitments related both to the Islamic tradition and the European societies.

The European Muslim Network is encouraging its members to exchange ideas and think collectively about a range of related topics central to contemporary societies.

The European Muslim Network subscribes to the idea of a Europe with Jewish, Christian and Islamic roots, by promoting amongst the Muslim communities of Europe the development of constructive criticism, unbiased reflection, peaceful debate and other rational activities with regard to Europe presence and future from within the perspective of the cultural universe of Islam.

The European Muslim Network intends to facilitate the blossoming of a distinctive European and at the same time Muslim personality.

The EMN draws its members from the following countries: France, Belgium, Great Britain, Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Austria, The Netherlands, Germany, Bosnia, Macedonia, Turkey, Sweden, Ireland (new country members will be added in due time).

The EMN shall:

Elaborate an alternative thinking that reflects on and responds to the different challenges facing European Muslims and their permanent presence in place on Europe on a wide-range of contemporary social and political issues
Work for active participation by European Muslims in their respective social and cultural environments
Encourage open communication and debate through organizing conferences and symposiums at national and European levels within Muslim communities, as well as conducting seminars between Muslim European leaders.
Develop an active forum with the aim of establishing, through events and activities, a continuous dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims from a number of organizations and institutions debating contemporary issues to improve understanding as well as our social conditions.
Participate and intervene in major public debates by producing texts, distributing information, articles and press-releases within the Muslim community and within the Non-Muslim community of Europe.

Board of Trustees

The EMN members’ elected their official representatives in the city of Brussels in October 2009. The Board of trustees is made up of the following persons:

President: Prof. Dr. Tariq Ramadan (UK) is Professor of Islamic Studies. He is currently Senior Research Fellow College (Oxford), Doshisha University (Kyoto, Japan) and at the Lokahi Foundation (London)
Director General: Mrs. Malika Hamidi (Belgium), Doctor of Sociology and author
1^st Vice Presidents: Belal El Mogaddedi (Germany)
2^nd Vice Presidents: Nezar Mahmoud (Germany)