According to the Pew Research Center, Islam is the fastest-growing religion in Europe as the population was about 30 million in 1990 and increased to 40 million in 2010.
Not only the fastest-growing, but it’s also the second-largest religion in Europe where people are converting tremendously. One research says that 200,000-320,000 people accepted Islam in Europe and people from France, Belgium, the UK, and Germany are quickly becoming Islamic after the advancement of technology and education.
However, we cannot point out the exact figure that tells us how many Muslims actually live in different parts of Europe.
The official statistics never gathered any data regarding religious affiliation. So, you couldn’t find some real numbers but may know the estimated figure that varies from 13, 15, and to 20 million.
Despite lots of differences and conflicts, the Muslim population is greatly increasing in Europe. And not only that, but they are also gradually becoming a part of politics and the national European parliament. If you are curious to know about the extent of Muslims involved in European politics, that’s the right article for you.
Here we have outlined some amazing European Muslim Politicians who have remarkable contributions to politics and played a crucial role in the development of their country.
Syeda Warsi:
Have you ever heard about Sayeeda Warsi? If not yet, let us introduce you to this amazing political figure.
She was the first female Muslim who got the honor of attending the British Cabinet. The lady was also the co-chairperson of the Conservative Party from 2010-12.
However, after that in 2018, Sayeeda Warsi was called by Prime Minister Theresa May who ordered her to publicly admit that their Conservative Party is experiencing a problem with Islamophobia.
When she attended the first meeting in Downing Street, the lady was responsible for creating a small sensation while showing up in a pure Indian outfit.
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Rachida Datia:
Did you know France has the highest number of Muslims in European countries? And as mentioned earlier, Islam is the second-largest religion due to its increased prevalence. However, the proportion of Muslim politicians is still quite small.
Rachida Datia is one of the most remarkable Muslim politicians in France who had served as justice minister for two years such as 2007-2009. Rachida is now serving as a Member of the European Parliament.
Ahmed Aboutaleb:
Ahmed Aboutaleb is another phenomenal name in European politics who became the mayor of the Dutch city of Rotterdam in 2009.
Ahmed Aboutaleb is also the first immigrant mayor working in the Netherlands who has also been outspoken in his criticism of Muslims when he comes to the West.
After some time in 2015, Aboutaleb was voted as a reliable Dutch politician when a poll was launched by news agency ANP.
Sadiq Khan:
Here we have the most popular Muslim politician Sadiq Khan, who doesn’t need any introduction due to his impeccable contributions in the world of politics.
He has been the mayor of London for 6 years. He got elected in 2016 and since then, his performance is beyond imagination. He has also been a Labour MP from 2005- to 2016.
Before the launch of the Brexit referendum, Sadiq Khan was a highly qualified and dominant campaigner in London who remained in Europe. Besides, he was a kind supporter of equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.
One of the most remarkable things about Khan is, he has received the award of Politician of the year British Muslim Awards in 2016.
The best thing about him is, he is a practicing Muslim who attends mosque regularly.
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Cem Ozdemir:
Cem Ozdemir is a qualified and popular politician in Germany who has been a very prominent face of the Green party for many years. He also served as a co-chairperson between 2008- 2018.
Among other political contributions, he was against Turkey’s accession, which is the homeland of his parents, to the EU while it was under the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Cem always described himself as the best “secular Muslim”. His contributions include the campaigns for the legalization of cannabis.
Joran Van Klaveren:
You must have heard that threats aimed at Dutch leaders and politicians have been constantly increasing. Since they are brave and stand out, they know how to protect their political rights.
Joram van Klaveren is also a popular Dutch Politician is also a very strong and hardline critic of Islam. He launched several campaigns against Islam in his early years as a lawmaker for the Party for Freedom (PVV).
But after some time, he suddenly made a turn. He announced that he has been converting to Islam while writing an anti-Islam book. Joran’s former political leader named Geert Wilders was also a vehement Islam critic, and he says that his conversion is just like a vegetarian person recruited at a slaughterhouse.
Syed Kamall:
Syed Salah Kamall is a famous British politician who has been serving as parliamentary under secretary of State for innovation at the department of health and social care.
He is also a professor teaching politics and international relations at St. Mary’s University Twickenham. He has also been appointed to the House of Lords in 2021.
From May 2005 to June 2019, Syed Kamall served as a Conservative MEP for London. And then in the European Parliament, Kamall became the leader of the European Conservatives as well as Reformists political group of MEPs from 19 countries.
He worked hard for open trade, promoted tech start-ups, and took steps for great financial regulation. As he was the most senior elected British MEP, he has also acted as an interlocutor between UK and EU negotiators.
Metin Kazak:
If you know something about Bulgarian politicians, you must have heard the name of Metin Kazak who is a Bulgarian- Turkish politician as well as a former member of the European parliament. In fact, he is also an old member of the Movement for rights and freedom.
Kazak was first elected to the European parliamentarian in 2007 and luckily got re-elected in 2009 again.
He worked a lot for the Muslim community in Bulgaria and tried to establish peaceful relations between them.
Ismail Ertug:
Ismail Ertug- another Muslim politician working in Germany. Yes, he is a German- Turkish Politician and also a member of the European Parliament.
He is also a member of the Social Democratic Party in Germany and has become an important part of the Party of European Socialists.
The 46 years old Ertug has done a lot of legislative work in the committees, as well as served the delegations.
He is also a co-chairperson of the EP Turkey forum.
Karima Delli:
Karima Delli is a French politician who was elected in 2009 as European Parliamentarian.
In the initial years of her career, she worked for the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. Right after the 2014 elections, Delli decided to move to the Committee on Transport and Tourism and there she acted as a parliamentary group’s coordinator. After that in 2016, Karima Delli became the vice-chair of the Volkswagen emissions scandal inquiry into whether the EU needed to respond quickly to address the issue.
Ending Thoughts:
It’s quite difficult for Muslim politicians to stay in the saturated world of politics in Europe where Muslims are seen as a terrorist, killers, and stereotyped.
It’s hard for the above Muslim Politicians but since they made the mark with true honesty and bravery, these politicians are continued to win the hearts of the entire Islamic nation. We hope that we see more talented, dedicated, and hardworking Muslim politicians in European politics in the next few years.
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