Muslims and the making of modern Europe /

Despite having a significant presence in Europe since the eighth century CE, Muslims continue to be seen above all else as Muslims rather than citizens of the nation-state they inhabit. Greble (Vanderbilt Univ.), author of Sarajevo, 1941--1945 (CH, Jan'12, 49-2851), addresses how Muslims in the Balkans, specifically former Yugoslavia, were viewed by the state and how they interacted with it. Beginning in 1878, the author examines how Muslims, rather than being brought into Serbia's secular society, were tied more closely to religion through the state's maintenance of Islamic socioreligious law. The Muslim community's distinct legal structure left it struggling to negotiate its political belonging until the post--WW II period. As with Muslim communities throughout the world, WW II offered Yugoslav Muslims options: support the European radical right's rejection of the secular liberal state or join the resistance (sizable numbers were found on both sides). Ultimately, under Tito, the Shariʽa legal order was eliminated, transforming Islam from a legal issue into a cultural idea. This work's great strength is Greble's approach to the topic from a Muslim perspective, instead of viewing Muslims as Europe's Other, which is, unfortunately, the norm. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty. --Robert W. Zens, Le Moyne College