What is the future of Islam in Europe? How hopeful can we be on an European, enlightened version of Islam? Is that something Muslims themselves actually want? And will it be possible to overcome the Europeans’ distrust of Islam? Jan Leyers goes in search of answers. He heads off to Sarajevo, Budapest, Vienna, Hamburg, Paris, London, Copenhagen and Malmö. He listens to the voice of experts and the word on the street and talks with religious men and women, with ex-believers and new converts. What do they hope for and what are their concerns? In this series, Jan stays true to his style: nuanced and respectful, without shying away from controversy.
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 Part 1 |
In the first episode of “Allah in Europe”, Jan Leyers begins his journey in Bosnia. He visits the capital of Sarajevo where he gets a shave by a female barber. This first impression of the rather modern Islam of Bosnian Muslims is confirmed by the sisters Emina and Nermina Hodžić, two successful fashion designers. They believe their city to be very open and tolerant. |
Part 2 |
Jan Leyers in conversation with muftis, the Bosnian Islamic clerics. He learns how the Bosnian Islam is strictly hierarchically organized. The former grand mufti of Bosnia has a suggestion on how to establish a peaceful European Islam. |
Part 3 |
In a town near Budapest, Jan witnesses the ritual slaughter of ten cows for Id al-Adha, the “Feast of Sacrifice”. The meat is distributed to Muslim families across Hungary as well as to soup kitchens for non-Muslims. |
Part 4 |
Jan Leyers’ first stop in France is Aulnay-sous-Bois, a suburb of Paris with a high migration rate. He talks to residents and shop owners. They claim that they are slowly but surely being driven out, through structural measures and bans. |
Part 5 |
Jan Leyers arrived at his fifth station on his journey across Europe: London. The laws in GB are much more liberal when it comes to religion than in the countries he visited before. People are allowed to practice their religion and wear whatever they want, as long as they don’t harm others. |
Part 6 |
In 2015, Sweden welcomed approximately 60.000 refugees from the Middle East. They can practice their religion freely. Jan joins a large group of Swedish muslims as they gather in a park in Malmö for a joint prayer. |
 Part 7 |
In Hamburg, Jan visits a mosque that was build by rich Iranians. They’re hosting the European Quran Competition where 165 participants from eleven countries compete in reciting verses. He gets the chance to talk to winner Jafar Jafaari. He explains why he decided to come to Germany 15 years ago. |
Part 8 |
On the last leg of his journey, Jan Leyers travels to Belgium and the Netherlands. His first meeting is with Nurdeen Wildeman in Utrecht, a convert and strong opinion maker. |
