Resumen de Religious identity as a contributing factor to the integration of Middle Eastern inmmigrants into Croatian society
Eva Katarina Glazer, Erik Brezovec
The migrant crisis in Europe is one of the most challenging problems that the European Union has faced since the very start of its existence. By examining the process of the acculturation of Middle Eastern migrants in Zagreb, this paper will provide a basic insight into this cultural phenomenon.The possibilities for successful integration lie within the religious identity of Islam as being partially common both to migrants and the Muslim population in Croatia. Another positive factor for successful integration can be found in the history of the Muslim population in Croatia, whose rich tradition and integration into Croatian society can be regarded as highly instructive. The main goal of the paper is to present the experience of the encounters that individuals from the Islamic Centre in Zagreb had with immigrants from the Middle East using qualitative methodology and the deep interview method. This research should provide a better understanding of the importance of religious identity in the process of the integration of Middle East migrants into European society and guidelines for overcoming the risks of parallel societies. In addition, the authors will present an overview of the problems that occur in the education process in the context of religious identities, with an emphasis on Islam in the Croatian educational system.
