The Instrumental Use of Incorporation Philosophies in a Multicultural Norway. Becoming Norwegian or Running in Place?

Abstract

This chapter is based on 20 interviews with volunteer-run organisations working on the incorporation, that is the integration and inclusion, of Norwegian Muslims. The participating organisations differ from each other in that some are specifically Muslim, balancing incorporation with the maintenance of religious and cultural identities. Others are non-Muslim, typically placing more emphasis on the social inclusion of the individual. However, both groups of participants present themselves in opposition to prominent right-wing voices, the spectre of which hangs over the interviews. Right-wing pundits are constantly quoted as counterexamples to the participants’ positions. Thus, we get three analytical entities, two being participants of this study, the third, a constructed “other” acting as a dramatic foil to both. This tripartite division creates interesting similarities and oppositions. The difference most central to the philosophy of the Muslim organisations is related to the debate on whether Islam is compatible with Norwegian values, and thus whether a multicultural integration framed around the retention of Muslim identity is an oxymoron. Possibly to sidestep this imbroglio, the Muslim participants downplay culture or values as a measure of integration, framing the incorporation of their members according to practical criteria, such as obeying the law, employment, and neighbourliness.