Australian Muslim leaders, normalisation and social integration

Functionalism has been the dominant framework for the explanation of social integration. Policies for the integration of migrants in the West have mainly centred on the improvement of migrants' socio-economic situation (employment, education and income). Nonetheless, for Muslim minorities in the West, including Australia, the functionalist conception of integration is inadequate. Although Muslim minorities are socio-economically disadvantaged, they are also subject to social exclusion based on their religion and culture. This is due to a longstanding historical ideological construction of Islam as stagnant, pre-modern, despotic, patriarchal and violent, in opposition to the progressive, modern, democratic, egalitarian and civilised West. This is to say that Muslims have been placed outside the space of 'normal' in western discourses. Muslims will not be able to fully integrate into Australian society unless their derogatory image changes. This study aims to explore the issue of social integration from the perspective of Australian Muslim leaders. It is argued that social integration can be defined as a process of normalisation. 'Integrationist' Muslim leaders struggle to normalise the image of Muslims and Islam in the Australian public sphere. Their efforts have both organisational and discursive aspects. This process of normalisation, however, is contested from both within and without. From within, there are Muslim 'radicals' and 'isolationists' who challenge the normalisation process. From without, the media's disproportionate focus on provocative and radical Muslim voices challenges the integrationist leaders' efforts. This thesis purports to reveal the dynamics and struggles within the Australian Muslim leadership field regarding the normalisation of Islam and Muslims' images in Australia. The evidence comes from 30 in-depth interviews conducted with Muslim leaders in Melbourne and Sydney.