Islam in Poland

Abstract

The article describes the situation of the Muslim community in Poland. It argues that Muslims in Poland are not discriminated against because of their faith, and links the fact with the long and harmonious presence of the small Tatar community on Polish lands. Nevertheless, the publicized problems with accommodation of the religiously motivated demands posed by the Muslim immigrants in the West, as well as security concerns connected with the "war on terror," contribute to the development of "Islamophobia without Muslims" in Polish society. This, in turn, may stimulate the process of creating Islam-based identity among recent migrants to Poland. The article assumes, however, that the Catholic Church in Poland may act as an opportunity structure in the process of integration, similarly to the role played by the Established Church in Great Britain, including Muslims in the British institutional makeup.