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Religions
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Religion and Immigrants in Western Europe
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Religion and Immigrants in Western Europe

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 July 2025 | Viewed by 1412

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ednan Aslan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Professor for Islamic Religious Education, Department of Islamic-Theological Studies, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Interests: Islam; religion; radicalization of Muslim youth; antisemitism and Islam
Dr. Kamil Öktem

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Islamic-Theological Studies, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Interests: religion; religious culture; religious thought; history of Muslims in Europe; religious normativity; Muslim minority in Europe; interfaith dialogue; religious institutions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are honored to invite you to participate in the upcoming Special Issue of Religions titled “Religion and Immigrants in Western Europe”. The journal Religions encompasses a multidisciplinary research scope focusing on religious thought, cultures, practices, implications, and the influence of religious beliefs on society. Scholars not only from disciplines concerning religion but also culture, philosophy, theology, social sciences, anthropology, psychology, politics, law, neuroscience, and others are encouraged to contribute. This Special Issue will address the intersection of religion and immigration in Western Europe, with the aim of providing comprehensive understanding of this complex topic.

This Issue aims to highlight the intricate relationship between religion and immigrants in Western Europe, a subject of significant academic and public interest. It aims to explore various dimensions including religious beliefs, practices, and institutional roles in the lives of immigrants across Western European countries. By fostering dialogue among diverse perspectives and research findings, this Special Issue seeks to elucidate both the challenges and opportunities arising from this intersection.

We therefore welcome submissions of abstracts related to the theme “Religion and Immigrants in Western Europe”. Possible sub-themes include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

  1. Religious identity and integration;
  2. Religious institutions and networks;
  3. Public perception and policy;
  4. Interfaith relations and dialogue;
  5. Challenges and conflicts;
  6. Cultural transformation and adaptation;
  7. Trans-culturalism and multi-culturalism;
  8. Minorities, minority rights, and law.

The scholarly contributions are expected to enrich both the main theme and these sub-themes, deepening our understanding of the role of religion in the lives of immigrants. Through this collection, the objective is to uncover how religion shapes immigrant experiences and how immigration influences the religious landscape of Western Europe. Interested authors are requested to initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200–300 words summarizing their intended contribution to the Guest or Co-Guest Editor (ednan.aslan@univie.ac.at; kamil.oektem@univie.ac.at) or to the Assistant Editor of Religions. Abstracts will undergo review by the Guest Editors to ensure alignment with the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will subsequently undergo double-blind peer review.

We eagerly anticipate your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Ednan Aslan
Dr. Kamil Öktem
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • immigration
  • religious thought
  • identity
  • interfaith dialogue
  • integration, religious institutions

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 422 KiB  
Article
Media and Islamophobia in Europe: A Literature-Based Analysis of Reports 2015–2023
by Jelang Ramadhan, Karomah Widianingsih, Eva Achjani Zulfa and Imam Khomaeini Hayatullah
Religions 2025, 16(5), 584; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16050584 - 1 May 2025
Viewed by 268
Abstract
This study examines the increasing Muslim presence in Western Europe, driven by migration, fertility rates, and religious conversion according to recent demographic research. Triggering events such as the 9/11 attacks in 2001 and the 7/7 London bombings in 2005, marked as milestones, worsened [...] Read more.
This study examines the increasing Muslim presence in Western Europe, driven by migration, fertility rates, and religious conversion according to recent demographic research. Triggering events such as the 9/11 attacks in 2001 and the 7/7 London bombings in 2005, marked as milestones, worsened by the global media and propaganda, have significantly fueled Islamophobia across the region. Countries in Western Europe, like Spain, the Netherlands, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, are selected focus areas to reflect social change and overlapping responses to the shifts. This study investigates the connection between rising anti-immigrant sentiment toward Muslims and the media’s role in shaping Islamophobia by negatively depicting Islam as a religion of war or terror. By analyzing the European Islamophobia Reports from 2015 to 2023, this study examines how Muslims are portrayed both as immigrants and through their symbolic societal presence. The study critically analyzes anti-Islam propaganda and the life experiences of Muslim communities by implementing qualitative methods through a literature review. The findings of this study reveal a paradox between Europe’s advocacy for diversity and the realities shaped by political and global dynamics, which hinder efforts toward inclusion. These insights could inform media policies to promote more balanced representations of Muslims and guide societal initiatives aimed at reducing prejudice and fostering greater inclusivity in Western Europe. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion and Immigrants in Western Europe)
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14 pages, 209 KiB  
Article
From Public Images of Islam to Everyday Muslim Practice
by Hanna Grabenberger and Erol Yildiz
Religions 2025, 16(5), 555; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16050555 - 26 Apr 2025
Viewed by 183
Abstract
From public images of Islam to everyday Muslim practice. As the current debates on “Islam” and “Muslims” in Europe illustrate, social conflicts related to religious issues seem to attract public attention and become politicised relatively quickly. As European societies develop into a place [...] Read more.
From public images of Islam to everyday Muslim practice. As the current debates on “Islam” and “Muslims” in Europe illustrate, social conflicts related to religious issues seem to attract public attention and become politicised relatively quickly. As European societies develop into a place of cultural and religious diversity in the context of global opening processes, voices are increasingly raised that propagate religious homogeneity in Europe and see the presence of Muslims almost exclusively as a problem. On the one hand, such homogenising interpretations are made visible, and it is shown how a decidedly negative image of Islam has emerged and how such rigid categorisations lead to the decontextualisation of religious affiliations and practices, which has a significant influence on the life constructions and positioning practices of those affected. On the other hand, biographical examples are used to illustrate how negative attributions to Islam and its adherents are perceived by subsequent generations, how they react to them, how they position themselves in the debate, and what strategies result from this to deal with them. The focus is on the experiences of those affected, i.e., the “knowledge of the people”, as a counterpoint to a “hegemonic knowledge” of Islam and Muslims. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion and Immigrants in Western Europe)
18 pages, 262 KiB  
Article
Islamic Religious Education and Citizenship Education: An Empirical Study of Teachers’ Perspectives in Austria
by Şenol Yağdı
Religions 2025, 16(4), 502; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16040502 - 14 Apr 2025
Viewed by 292
Abstract
Research into Citizenship Education has become increasingly important in recent years. It deals with the promotion of social cohesion, democracy and human rights. This article examines the interfaces between Citizenship Education and Religious Education, particularly from the perspective of Islamic religious teachers in [...] Read more.
Research into Citizenship Education has become increasingly important in recent years. It deals with the promotion of social cohesion, democracy and human rights. This article examines the interfaces between Citizenship Education and Religious Education, particularly from the perspective of Islamic religious teachers in Austria. The empirical basis is a qualitative study conducted as part of the author’s dissertation, which includes group discussions with 41 Islamic Religious Education teachers. The results were analyzed using the documentary method. The analysis focuses on two key aspects: first, the role of Islamic Religious Education in supporting the integration, participation and identity formation of young people, and second, challenges of Religious Education in a social context. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion and Immigrants in Western Europe)
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