Tariq Modood on Multicultural Europe

Professor Modood's lecture, the first event under our thematic strand "Europe and Islam", will focus on 'Multicultural Europe: Secular, Post-Secular or Multifaith?'

Some divisions around religion and religious identity, especially the position of Muslims, are threatening to create long term divisions in Europe. The attitudes of both some 'religionists' (of various stripes) and some 'secularists' are obstacles to the accommodation of Muslims. Yet there are also sources of hope. One is the pragmatic and religion-friendly character of political secularism in Britain and in North-West Europe generally (with the partial exception of France). Another ground for optimism is the respect that some people, especially some Muslims, have for religions other than their own. Reviewing the above tensions and causes for optimism, the talk will conclude by characterising the current situation as a three-way contestation between: appeals to renewal of Christian identity; a further privatising of religion; and a multi-faith secularism.

Professor Albert Weale (UCL School of Public Policy) will act as respondent. The event will be chaired by Professor Richard Bellamy, Director of the European Institute.

24 November 2010
5.30-7pm
followed by a reception

Roberts G08 Sir David Davies LT
Roberts Building
Torrington Place
London WC1E 7JE

click here for a map

The event is free of charge but you are required to register here to secure a place.

Tariq Modood is Professor of Sociology, Politics and Public Policy at the University of Bristol, and the founding Director of the University Research Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship.

He was the Bristol Director of the Leverhulme Programme on Migration and Citizenship, with UCL, which consisted of 8 projects running between 2003-09. With Anna Triandafyllidou he also led EMILIE: A European Approach to Multicultural Citizenship (with 8 EU partners), an EU 6th Framework project (2006-09). They have now followed this up with the 15 countries project Accept Pluralism: Tolerance, Pluralism and Social Cohesion (2010-2013). Funded by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme, this project aims to investigate whether European societies have become more or less tolerant during the past 20 years. Professor Modood is also working on a project with Dr Therese O'Toole, Muslim Participation in Contemporary Governance, funded by the AHRC (2010-13). During 2010-11, he is furthermore on a Fellowship from the AHRC to work on a book on Secularism and the Accommodation of Muslims in Western Europe.

He was awarded an MBE for services to social science and ethnic relations in 2001 and elected to the Academy of Social Sciences in 2004.