European Imams Focus on Issue of Identity

In Vienna a group of European Imans meet and look at their role in developing and changing the global image of Muslims.

A declaration by the head of Bosnia‘s Islamic community that has been circulating among European mosques illustrates the balancing act for the continent‘s more than 33 million Muslims.
"There‘s kind of psychological warfare now between East and West and Europe is at the center of it," said Mustafa Ceric, the leader of Bosnia‘s Muslim community and author of the "Declaration of European Muslims" issued earlier this year.

Ceric, who cannot attend the Vienna meeting because of a scheduling conflict, plans to have an aide present his document. It urges European Muslims to embrace modern views and change "a bad global image to a good global image of Muslims," but also blames the West for fanning prejudices against Islam following the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.