Conclusion

In the conclusion of this volume the authors insist on a new model of inclusion conceived as a process that cannot ignore, as a pre-requisite, the need for solid cooperation in education and culture with and within the Muslim world. Without such a pre-requisite, any integration effort could end up being perceived by many Muslim immigrants as a threat to their identity. A re-thought multilateral approach is recommended in order to bridge the gap between Muslim identities and European citizenship schemes. The necessary coordination between Europe and the educational, economic and financial institutions of neighbouring Muslim countries is emphasized as an essential step towards the need to enhance human development in immigrant communities and to manage interculturalism in an effective way. This is indicated as a huge challenge, but the authors argue that the concept of a new pattern of constructive co-existence in our European societies is a crucial one: this is a pattern able to prevent those crises that have been emerging when efforts to either manage or manipulate Islam have involved host countries and hosted communities.