Global Muslim Diaspora

Why the project exists

Muslims now constitute one of the largest and most widespread diasporas in the world. Yet the data on where they live, on their demographic and socio-economic profiles, on their political positioning and on their access to public goods and services remains scattered, inadequate and out of date. That shortage of information is an anomaly given the prominence these communities have acquired in public debate.

Despite a growing literature on Muslims living in non-Muslim majority countries, knowledge on the subject remains limited and fragmented. The GMD project, launched by SESRIC following the resolution adopted in July 2017 by the 44th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, sets out to fill that gap by engaging closely with representatives of Muslim minority and diaspora communities in different countries.

What the project aims to do

• Highlight the profile and importance of global Muslim diasporic communities at a time when Islam and Muslims occupy an almost central place in international politics.
• Incorporate the different views and perspectives of Muslim diasporic communities, host country public authorities, relevant academic centres and civil society organisations.
• Carry out detailed field research allowing a comparative analysis of the status and everyday lives of Muslim groups in selected pilot countries.
• Examine how Muslim groups influence the relationship between their countries of origin and their host countries, and analyse the level and structure of that relationship.

Expected results

The outcome of the project, and of the GMD Atlas in particular, is expected to provide objective information on the demographic profiles of Muslim minority and diasporic communities worldwide; to offer researchers and policy-makers a reliable source on integration and immigration; to transfer knowledge and best practice among the OIC Member States; and to contribute to mutual relations between origin and host countries, raising the awareness needed for sincere and meaningful dialogue.

From an academic standpoint, the project also intends to contribute to the literature by re-examining the conceptual frame around Muslim communities, diaspora, migration and societal influence.

Outputs

• Introductory report. Preliminary diagnostics on Muslim communities living in non-Muslim majority countries, introducing the concepts, scope and methodology of the project.
• Country reports. Twelve reports on the countries selected for fieldwork, covering demographic, socio-economic and political characteristics alongside an analysis of the fieldwork findings.
• GMD Atlas. A map of Muslim minority and diasporic communities in 48 non-Muslim majority countries, with country factsheets.
• GMD Glossary. A shared vocabulary for the concepts used across the project.