Islamic Communities and Islamic Practice in European Countries: The Cases of Mostar and Granada

Isaac Martinez-Lupianez, Jasmin Peco

This paper examines Islam as a world religion and an organized system, with a particular focus on its socio-historical origins and its impact on societal value systems in the cities of Granada and Mostar. Through a comparative analysis, the study explores the origins and development of Islam in both cities. Additionally, using a qualitative research approach, the paper seeks to determine how and to what extent Islamic communities operate in these urban settings and how integrated they are within the local communities.

Religious practice and activities, understood as expressions of religion in everyday social relations, are examined as key indicators of the influence of Islam on daily life. Special emphasis is placed on the perception of social reality by religious communities and on the specific roles they play in Granada and Mostar, as well as on the extent to which their actions are realized as everyday social practices.

Finally, it is important to note that this paper is the result of academic collaboration between a professor from the University “Džemal Bijedić” in Mostar and an exchange student from the University of Granada. The primary objective of this collaboration is to gain deeper insight into the position and activities of Islamic religious communities in the selected cities, while highlighting and analyzing both similarities and differences in the ways these communities function and in the social positions they occupy.