European Jewishness and European Muslim-hood: A comparative analysis of religious organisations' approach to the European integration project and European identity

Abstract: Certain religious organisations restrict their operations to a specific geographical area despite the fact that their aim presumably would be to transcend these boundaries. They promote one overarching religious identity that is shared worldwide which is why it should not be in the organisations interests to limit themselves geographically. The study’s objective is therefore to comprehend how the European Jewish Congress and the European Muslim Union represent the idea of being European. It is attained by answering the research questions of how they frame European integration in order to include the Jewish and Muslim groups in the project, and how their approaches diverge or align. A qualitative content analysis on the websites of the organisations is conducted and Neil Fligstein’s theory of European identity applied in order to fulfil the aim. The findings illustrate that the European integration project is expressed as having a European core made up of shared affiliations, including a beneficial European Union, removing obstacles, providing a sense of belonging, and being transformable. It is also described as the antithesis of factors that undermine “Europeanness,” such as nationalism, illegitimate governance, lack of safety, and weak procedures. As a result of their roles as minorities, and notwithstanding their differing perceptions of their position within the project, the organisations both present the idea of being European as compatible with the religious identification. They also depict flaws in the presented ideal of European integration.