The World of Associations
In the course of their settlement in the West, Muslims have passed
through several stages in the creation of associations. In the first
period, it was a question of gathering together either on the basis
of common origin (by creating organizations for people coming from
the same country) or, more often with the aim of carrying out a project
such as the establishment of a mosque. These were the two axes that
most attracted new arrivals. Slowly, new kinds of structures came
into being, more oriented toward education, social work, and more
specialized activities (e.g. for young people, students, women) or
toward Muslim representation at local and national levels.
These organizations are essential, and they must remain present and
active in Western countries because they help to normalize the presence
of Muslims in the West. However, it is important, at least in those
countries where the Muslim presence is the most long-standing, to
consider embarking on a new phase in the type of organizations invented
and founded by Western Muslims. This
third stage of associational structures for Muslims should
make it possible for them to create new organizations that, while
complementing what is already being done in the field, will be set
up around shared values, social projects, and causes and will not
be based simply on the Muslim identity of its founders.
These will not be partnerships with other associations but, taking
one step further, will represent shared commitments within one association.
This type of involvement is more complex on the ethical level because,
in a situation where we are not "among our own," we must
sometimes face situations or behaviour that are not in harmony with
our values or codes of conduct. By making time for dialogue and explanation,
by defining clearly the boundaries of commitment, it is possible to
find areas of agreement.
Many Muslims, still unsure of their identity and of what people think
of them, are afraid of going too far in this direction, but in the
end this is the direction in which the Islamic association landscape
in the West is bound to evolve - Muslim citizens distributed among
cultural networks, working in specialized "Islamic associations,"
and ultimately participating in bodies that unite those with pluralistic
beliefs and common values. In the end, this is the universal dimension
of Islam, integrating pluralism and human diversity.
