Migration of Muslims to Europe
Brianna, Emily, Hannah, Seul
Identify the general motivation behind the Islamic movement to Europe.
Muslim families are in Europe because of the job opportunities and better living standards compared to their homeland. Majority of Islamic countries are in bad shape because of war and political corruption. Muslims who are struggling in their home countries want a better life and they believe that they will benefit more if they move to a country where they could get a job that does not require much labor and still makes more money compared to the job quality and the payment in their own countries. Another reason for the Muslim movement is safety. Many Islamic countries are at war, and people want to flee away from danger and conflict. Religious wise, Muslim leaders encourage people to move around the world to spread the religion by inhabiting and populating non-Muslim areas.
Compare and contrast the characteristics of the original location and the destination.
Muslims who moved to France were from North Africa, specifically Algeria, and they immigrated because the economy was incredibly bad in their country and they needed new jobs. The GDP change is $7500 (Algeria) to $35,000 (France). Muslims who moved to England came from Central Asia (India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh), mostly because of the economy and search for labor. The GDP change is roughly $3000 (India) to $36,700 (England). Muslims who migrated to Germany were Turks and were a part of a chain migration. In the World War 2, many Turks had been recruited by the Nazis and had settled there after the war. Their families eventually went to Germany to live with them. However, some Turks moved in a search for a more fulfilling career. The GDP change is $15,000 (Turkey) to $39,000 (Germany).
What is the response of the countries the Islamic people are migrating to?
What historical events have pushed the Muslims to move?
The Islamic movement has been going on since 633 BC. Muslims have been invading other countries and ruling them with their religion. They even took the Ottoman Empire and placed the religious leader the sultan of the empire. For many centuries, Islam has been taking over other countries and winning people’s hearts, especially political leaders. However, around the 1700’s (during World War 2), Islam was losing its touch on the countries it was obtaining. After World War 2, Islam started kicking back into gear. Pakistan became an Islamic country in 1947 and Islam started spreading to the West, Asia, Africa, and India. In the 1960’s Muslim families started migrating to Europe and America.
Compare the population of Muslims in Europe before the movement and now.
Works Cited
http://www.globalpost.com (A European anti-Islam movement grows)
http://en.wikipedia.org (Islam in Germany)
http://www.religionfacts.com (Timeline of Islam)
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org (Islamic Immigration to Europe)
http://uk.reuters.com (Immigration backlash spread in Europe)