The Islamic Council of Norway and the Challenge of Representing Islam in Europe - (Muslim Minorities) by Olav Elgvin (Hardcover)

About the Book

Governments all across Europe have attempted to govern the Muslim population by working with representative Muslim councils. These councils, however, have often been plagued by conflicts and splits. Through a detailed study of The Islamic Council of Norway, this book asks why.

Book Synopsis

Governments all across Europe have attempted to govern the Muslim population by working with representative Muslim councils. These councils, however, have often been plagued by conflicts and splits. Why?

This book is the first attempt to answer this question in full. It does so by zooming in on the history of The Islamic Council of Norway. For many years, this organization functioned well. But after a prolonged conflict, the organization split in two in 2017. Based on a thorough study of the organization, the author claims that pressure from society at large has made it more difficult for such organizations to fulfil their role as Muslim representatives.

About the Author

Olav Elgvin, Ph.D. (2020), is a researcher at Fafo - Institute for social research in Oslo, Norway. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Bergen and has published widely on the Muslim community in Norway and policies regarding religion and Islam.