Muslims in Europe well-integrated - Study

Muslims in Europe are wellintegrated into mainstream society but are not fully accepted by all, according to a new study released by the Bertelsmann Foundation in Germany.

The Religion Monitor 2017 surveyed education, working life and interreligious contacts of Muslims in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and the U.K., which are home to nearly 14 million Muslims.

The representative survey found that second- and third-generation Muslims had a better command of the national language, were much better educated and, despite continued discrimination, were also successful in the labour market.

France has been the most successful country for linguistic integration, followed by the U.K.

Germany and Switzerland have been the countries where Muslims were the most successful at integrating into the job market.

The successful integration was particularly notable in increased social contacts between Muslims and nonMuslims, according to the report.

Bertelsmann Foundation expert Stephan Vopel underlined that Islam was not an obstacle to successful integration in Europe, despite such claims made by far-right politicians.

“Islam is not an obstacle to integration. Muslims, even the highly religious, learn the new language and strive for higher education levels just as much as other immigrants,” he told a news conference in Gutersloh, Germany, where the research group presented the outcome of their survey.

The report revealed that despite progress made in integration, Muslims who profess their faith and practice their religion often encounter discrimination in labour market. (aa.com.tr)