Textura de los suelos bajo bosque y pasto

Even though minority Muslim communities have lived in many parts of the world, accumulations of Muslim migrants and the emergence of new Muslim generations are now visible in contemporary Western societies. Indeed, Muslim communities have established themselves as entities within other established communities. For these established communities, having an Islamic presence has led to a shift in the ways in which Muslim people are viewed by the West. This notion is supported by Nielson (1999), who describes the evolution of Muslim settlements in Europe in the following way:

It is now a new generation since Western Europeans began to notice that there were Muslim communities settling in our cities. The day of the temporary migrant worker had been replaced by the establishment of families in a process which was clearly going to be permanent. The first mosque started appearing and we began to pay attention. As we looked behind the superficial developments we discovered that there had been Muslims in Western Europe for a long time (p. xi).

While keeping the words of Nielson in mind we need to remember sentiments articulated by Bhatti (2006) when she reflects on the migrant worker in a globalised context as ‗both a resource and a challenge‘ (p. 135). Furthermore, according to Mutalib (2005, p .68) ‗the global rise of Islam and events such as the September 11 attacks in the US only add to the problem for Muslim minorities worldwide‘. An enhanced Muslim presence in the West has meant a transformation of how Muslims are perceived both globally and locally, from terms such as ‗migrant worker‘, ‗overseas worker‘ or ‗migrant settler with a migrant family‘ to ‗second

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generation children of Muslim origin‘, often used to indicate children born to migrant parents from many parts of the world. These latter terms affirm a greater acceptance of Muslim young people and their role in contributing to and making up the local community settings. The shift in nomenclature from ‗Immigrant‘ to being recognised as ‗European‘ or accepted as citizens in the West is significant and testifies to the transformational processes of Muslim communities in the West.

Despite a willingness of Western communities to accommodate Muslims, migration brings with it complex and challenging issues. These issues are manifested in differences of opinion tied to culture, religion, ideology, dress codes and values. These issues become more complicated when they concern the second or later generation of immigrants. As Ramadan (1999b, p. 2) points out, ‗For those who have been brought up in Europe the question becomes even more complex‘ because second generation children are caught between two cultures with differing points of being and living in the world. Other studies carried out in among Arabic- speaking youth in South-western Sydney also support the complex process of ethnic identity formation ( Noble, G., Poynting, S. & Tabar, P. (1999).

The same applies to many Australian born Muslim young people who are caught between two or more cultures and different ways of knowing. For these young people many questions about their identity formation arise. Do they identify as Muslims? Do they identify as Australian, or Australian Muslims or something else? These questions are also influenced by the Australian lifestyle and its impact upon notions of social, cultural and religious identity. These situations are common for second generation children in the West. There have been only a few studies (McGavin, 2008; Marshallsay, 2007) carried out specifically on Muslim youth in Australia; these studies are tied to this very theme.

Identity in the era of globalisation is constantly changing. Multiple identities are being constructed and they are shifting. Mort (1980, p.169) argues:

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We carry a bewildering range of different, and at times conflicting, identities around with us in our heads at the same time. There is a continual smudging of personae and lifestyles depending where we are (at work, on the high street) and the spaces we are moving between.

Furthermore, recent world events, including the so called ‗war on terror‘, have led to an increase in attention on Muslims in general and specifically on Muslim youth in Australia. Attending to Muslim youth has been the case in other parts of the Western world, as well; research on Muslim communities has been undertaken in response to the need to facilitate government, policy makers and other related agencies in providing input for their services.

This research attempts to draw attention to the literature that recognises identity construction for ABMY and highlights what research tells us about ABMY and how they learn and understand their religion. In addition, this chapter highlights how parents and community members of ABMY contribute to the shaping of their identity. These three themes will be examined further following a brief discussion on Muslim presence and its importance in the West. Firstly, the identity theme covers Muslim Identity, Muslim identity in the West in general and the identity of Muslim youth in the West. The second theme covers Islamic education and its status in the West as applied to ABMY, an area central to the thesis of this study. The third theme covers the contribution of parents in identity construction of ABMY.