EMU Chairman Abu Bakr Rieger and Honorary President Professor Nevzat Yalcintas (centre).Over the past decade, with the theory of a "Clash of Civilizations," Europe has deemed itself in opposition to Islam. There are currently 53 million Muslims living in Europe, and 14 million of them live in EU countries. Last year four thousand people became Muslim in Germany alone. The European Muslim Union, or EMU, is an umbrella organization for Muslim groups working for the benefit of these Muslims all over Europe.
Its aims include correcting Muslims' "terrorist" image by integrating and promoting a dialogue that benefits both Muslims and non- Muslims. The EMU operates under European law. It has set itself tasks that will serve the Muslims such as in the establishment of Mosques and markets, and providing halal slaughter-houses It is dedicated to the improvement of education for all Muslims, be it traditional Islamic education and thought, or university scholarships to ensure a bright future for the Muslims, steering them away and freeing them from any tendencies or behavior that may be negative.
The EMU's educational program includes trips to Istanbul and other places. In the course of this year the EMU will hold a gathering in Sarajevo, the capital of Islam in Europe, to help the Muslim youth there to understand their role in Europe today.
It aims to bridge differences of cultural and ethnic affiliation by bringing the youth together from all over Europe. The EMU has launched a youth exchange program in the summer of 2007 in Istanbul, with the participation of young Turkish, Albanian and Spanish Muslims.
The EMU aims to provide aid for those Muslims who may be in material, medical or other social difficulties. It has set up a Muslim lawyers' guild which helps Muslims in Europe who are experiencing difficulties relating to national or international law.
In a time where media dominates and technology is the means of this domination, the EMU has sided with media houses such as ;Islamische Zeitung in Germany. That newspaper voices many of the EMU’s concerns, and has played an important role for those people who are curious as to the relevance of Islam in this age. It helps to shed light on the social, economic and political situation of the Muslims in Europe and throughout the world.
The Russian Federation is also an important place for the Muslim world. Over twenty million Muslims now live within the Russian Federation. The Islamic Cultural Centre of Russia (ICCR) and the EMU now stand shoulder-to-shoulder in defining Islam in Russia and are concerned with coming to a better understanding and with assessing the various aspects and possibilities of Islam there.
The new Mosque of Granada in Spain, which is one of the founding institutions of the EMU, is just one of the places where the EMU has been instrumental. Its social contribution to Granada has been noted by the national authorities.
The people of Granada are now under the shade of the Muslims. It is an exceptional place where indigenous Muslims have created a niche in society and an ambience of Islamic revival with their communal activities, events and souks which contribute to the city's economy and tourism. Every day many tourists, individuals and groups, visit this mosque and obtain an insight into Islam and Muslim life.
The EMU is now working to establish that the Muslims do have an important role to play in modern life. The vitality of Islam is reemerging from the depths of Europe, and it is for this reason that the EMU has made it its task to create a vibrant and flourishing future for all European Muslims.
* This article was first published onGlobalia Magazine. It is republished here with kind permission
Mohammed Dockratis a writer of Globalia Magazine, the magazine is dedicated towards the English speaking Muslim and Non-Muslims elites, alike – specially the Muslims in Europe, North America, the Gulf and South-East Asia. sumber: Islamonline.net
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