Gauging Social Integration among Canadian Muslims: A Sense of Belonging in an Age of Anxiety
Abstract: While the subject of "Muslim integration" has received extensive scholarly attention, especially in the Western European context, there has been little study of the subject in Canada. Canada has a long history of welcoming immigrants who make up 20 percent of the population. Yet, Canada has not fully escaped the debates and anxieties related to the accommodation of Muslim immigrants and the integration of those populations. In particular, these anxieties have been displayed around the proposal to use religious law in family based disputes in Ontario in 2005, controversies around the wearing of the niqab in the oath of citizenship, the admission of Syrian refugees in 2015, and concerns over homegrown violent extremism after the 11th of September 2001. Employing semi structured elite level interviews (n20) the Ethnic Diversity Study (EDS) and Environics' Survey of Muslims in Canada, the article examines social integration among Canada's diverse Muslim communities. Using the barometer of a sense of national belonging, it examines the life experiences of Canadian Muslims and their ideas and sentiments related to belonging. It concludes that despite concerns in the community over discrimination and divisive areas of public policy (e.g. security) Canadian Muslims are well integrated socially. Resume: Bien que la question de l'integration des musulmans ait recu un interet academique important, particulierement dans le contexte de l'Europe occidentale, il y a eu peu d'etudes sur cette question au Canada. Le Canada a une longue histoire dans l'accueil des immigrants qui representent 20 pour cent de la population. Pourtant, le Canada n'a pas totalement echappe aux debats et aux inquietudes lies a l'accueil des immigrants musulmans et l'integration de ces populations. En particulier, ces inquietudes ont ete exposees dans la proposition d'utiliser la loi religieuse dans les conflits familiaux en Ontario en 2005, les controverses autour du port du Niqab pendant le serment de citoyennete, l'admission des refugies syriens en 2015, et les preoccupations sur la croissance interne de l'extremisme violent apres le 11 Septembre 2001. Sur la base d'entrevues d'elite semi structurees (N20) l'etude sur la diversite ethnique (EDS) ainsi que les sondages d'ENVIRONICS aupres des musulmans au Canada, l'article examine l'integration sociale entre les diverses communautes musulmanes du Canada. En utilisant le barometre d'un sentiment d'appartenance nationale, il examine les experiences de vie des musulmans canadiens, ainsi que leurs idees et sentiments par rapport a l'appartenance. Il conclut que, malgre les preoccupations de la communaute sur la discrimination et les zones de discorde de la politique publique (securite par exemple) les musulmans canadiens sont bien integres socialement.