Özet:

In Islamic terminology, the term “diaspora” is hijra which indicates forcedly or voluntarily to live outside of home-country and to immigrate. The term of muhajir which literary means who has undergone the migration has more specifically been used to refer to those companions of the Prophet who migrated from Mecca to Medina. This event was very significant and marked the dawn of a new era of progress for the Muslim community. However, Muslim migrants are not merely concerned as foreigners or minorities in the Qur’anic discourse. In other words, diasporic situation which refers scattering and living outside of the “home land” has not merely a Qur’anic basement. Since the concept of “land” in the Qur’an are not demarcated geographically for Muslims as in the case of “Promised Land” for Jews. As a modern discussion, Muslims particularly in Europe came about as a result of contemporary hijra, immigration which has its roots in European colonialism and more effectively in economic reasons right after World War Second. Muslims mostly came to the West as immigrants to gain employment, raise family and live quality in the new host countries. But, today Muslims are no longer primarily immigrant communities but rather second and third generations participating in civil societies and professional economic life, in spite of the fact that they continue to be mistakenly identified as religious minorities. On the other hand, the converted Muslims, as being originally French, American or British and religiously Muslim at the same time, cannot be naturally identified as minorities and the situation can not be called as diaspora. However, conceptualizing the Muslim community in Europe as minority or diasporic society may be dealing with the global discourse of “identity”. In the global sense, the Muslim community finds legitimacy for their demands to recognize their cultural distinctiveness and social rights. Conceptualization of diaspora may be also dealing with the justification of the situation. Since, regarding to discussion, the relevant Qur’anic narratives, prophetic models, historical samples i.e. leaving home in search of a new life where one can freely practice his/her religion have been intensively used as reference in order to legitimate and to endow their situation with Islamic meaning.

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