Social Cohesion and Diaspora Politics

Abstract

Faced with difficulties with the operation of their newly established Islam Councils, European governments are increasingly open to the involvement of erstwhile sending states in the social and religious lives of immigrant diasporas in Europe. This is especially visible in the provision of externally-funded religion services (imams and mosques) in the absence of viable domestic alternatives. This paper considers the British debate on social cohesion and offers some context and offers background on recent diaspora outreach from Morocco and Turkey. The sending states are natural partners of Europeans during the current phase of institution-building, and European governments have tried to channel these foreign influences to encourage the institutional integration of their Muslim minorities without ceding sovereignty over European citizens.