Raheel Raza: How To Improve Muslim Integration in West

Clarion Project
March 28, 2017

To some extent radicalization would be lessened if Muslims were better integrated into the West (U.S.) but I would define integration not only as physical but mental and emotional integration as well. What happens usually with immigrants is that they may physically integrate i.e. they dress, speak and move around as Westerners but their ideology and thought process is still ‘back home’. This was actually pointed out to me during an interview with African immigrants to the U.S. when one of the leaders said, ‘Their bodies are here but their minds are still in Africa.’ Western policies have not looked at this aspect nor have they implemented programs that work on ideological integration.