Making Anthropology Matter in the Heyday of Islamophobia and the ‘Refugee Crisis’: The Case of Poland

Abstract

This paper addresses the issue of multiculturalism in Poland, with the reference point being Islamophobia and the attitude towards 'the Other', especially immigrants in Europe. It is argued that today's attitudes towards the Other result from the most recent history, marked by the interwar, wartime and post-WWII nationalisms, seven decades of a relative ethnic and cultural homogeneity of society, recent migration trends in Europe, the current 'refugee crisis' and worldwide spreading of a fear of terrorism, overwhelmingly bolstered by the media. These phenomena are scrutinized by referring to the example of Muslims living in Poland. An appeal for anthropological action in the social and political domain informed by expert knowledge is advocated.