Religious Misperceptions : The Case of Muslims and Christians in France and Britain

In the wake of numerous historical and current geopolitical, social and economic events/tragedies, misunderstandings have emerged and proliferated about Islam and Christianity. Inadequate media coverage, lack of interpersonal understanding/knowledge, and deep-seeded prejudices have led to the communication of various misconceptions. These misconceptions have ranged from how Islam and Christianity began, to confusion over how and even if governments and society should protect the rights of religious groups. This book provides a glimpse into how misperceptions between Muslims and Christians in France and Britain perpetuate interpersonal and societal conflicts. Through the use of in-depth interviews and statistical analysis, Muslims and Christians express their experiences. Christians explain how they perceive Islam changing the very nature of Europe. Furthermore, Christians assert this change is something Christian Europe should resist. Muslims, on the other hand, see Europe as an unwelcoming home that expects them to change and become Europeans but does not understand their faith or heritage. Readers will find vivid descriptions from respondents of their experiences from living as a Muslim or a Christian in a Europe going through what many consider an identity shift.