Rationale and background

European countries are facing varied problems dealing with the relation between growing Muslim communities and the Non-Muslim population. Prejudice against each other, a sometimes very limited understanding and even distorted perception of ‚the others' origines from various reasons and must allways be discussed on the specific historic and socio-economic background of the country. National or local situations are moreover again and again influenced by international developments like the tragic 11th September attacks.

The biggest Muslim communities are to be found in France (about 5 Mill), Germany (about 3,2 Mill) and Great Britain (about 2 Mill). As immigrated minorities, Muslim communities want to establish there own religious life. The Aufeinandertreffen and perception of another religion causes fear, problems of acceptance and often leeds to misunderstanding on both sides.

In Germany e.g. which has its 40 years long tradition of labour migrants, especially Turkish migrants, it can be seen that conflicts of society very often are turned into ethnical conflicts which results in conflicts and rivalry between ethnical or religious groups. Although the Turksih minority in Bulgaria (about 9%) is well integrated and actively involved in the political life, there are heavy prejudice on both sides due to common history, ideological influences from communism and economical reasons as a high rate of unemployment, especially in those areas with a high percentage of Turkish population. After the 11th Sept attacks there can be a spirale of negative stereotyping being observed in the Netherlands, i.e. Moroccan and Turkish people are very often judged as fundamentalists which causes new provocation from the Moroccan and Turkish population to combat this kind of discrimination or it causes the opposite: not to take any action. For Bulgaria it can be observed that the attacks brought back to old concerns about the Islamic factor and the so called 'Islam expansionist threat'. Especially in the UK, stereotyping is strongly linked with race and religion as categories which are often perceived as necessarily linked with each other which reflects an indifferentiated perception. Moreover, in many cities you find Muslim and Non-Muslim people living segregated which doesn't allow communication between them.

On this background, the field of adult education can serve as an important promoter of cultural dialogue and communication especially in a sense of growing European integration.