The Islamic Council of Norway and the Challenge of Representing Islam in Europe : Muslims under Pressure

Abstract

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.