Adapting to and Challenging the Status Quo: Islamic Interest Groups in the Political Discourse on the 'Integration of Islam' in Germany and the Netherlands

Applying the concept of political opportunity structures this research project analyses what views representatives from Islamic interest groups in Germany and the Netherlands hold regarding the “integration of Islam” in their respective host country. The question is in what way the positions of these organizations on the relationship between religion(s) and state in general and the status of Islam in particular are affected by national political opportunity structures deriving from regulatory frameworks such as church-state-regimes and regimes of immigrant integration. To what extent differ views of Islamic representatives from those held by their counterparts in the neighbouring country and (increasingly) conform to those of state representatives in their host country? The project involved an analysis of documents published by both state and Islamic representatives and interviews with members of Islamic organisations. The results show that national frameworks do indeed provide a focal point for Islamic organisations. This explains cross-national differences on the views concerning the role of religion in the public sphere and how the relationship between religion(s) and the state should be arranged. However, state and Islamic representatives in both Germany and the Netherlands disagree when it comes to defining the status of the Islamic organisations and the purpose of consultations between Islamic and state representatives. Although the influence of national political opportunity structures is thus apparent, there is also evidence of differences in the framing strategies employed by government representatives and Islamic organizations that derive from a clash of interests in the discourse.