In 2005, twelve cartoons mocking the prophet Mohammed appeared in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, igniting a political firestorm over demands by some Muslims that the claims of their religious faith take precedence over freedom of expression. Given the explosive reaction from Middle Eastern governments, Muslim clerics, and some Danish politicians, the stage was set for a backlash against Muslims in Denmark. But no such backlash occurred. Paradoxes of Liberal Democracy shows how the majority of ordinary Danish citizens provided a solid wall of support for the rights of their country's growing Muslim minority, drawing a sharp distinction between Muslim immigrants and Islamic fundamentalists and supporting the civil rights of Muslim immigrants as fully as those of fellow Danes--for example, Christian fundamentalists. Building on randomized experiments conducted as part of large, nationally representative opinion surveys, Paradoxes of Liberal Democracy also demonstrates how the moral covenant underpinning the welfare state simultaneously promotes equal treatment for some Muslim immigrants and opens the door to discrimination against others. Revealing the strength of Denmark's commitment to democratic values, Paradoxes of Liberal Democracy underlines the challenges of inclusion but offers hope to those seeking to reconcile the secular values of liberal democracy and the religious faith of Muslim immigrants in Europe.

About the Author
Paul M. Sniderman is the Fairleigh S. Dickinson Jr. Professor of Public Policy at Stanford University and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Michael Bang Petersen, Rune Slothuus, and Rune Stubager are professors of political science at Aarhus University in Denmark.

Reviews
One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2015 "This fascinating book addresses a fundamental problem of immense importance for current social and political life in a functioning Western democracy. Starting from the cartoon crisis that highlighted the clash of democratic values and Muslim fundamentalism, the authors employ a rich combination of qualitative and survey research methods to examine the responses of Danes that puzzled observers... This study, rich in empirical evidence on the Danish example, provides insight into how other Western democracies could learn to better relations with immigrant minorities in their countries."--Choice "The analysis presented in this book is structured well, clearly organized and argued, and deeply rooted in survey and experimental empirical data. The authors build a persuasive argument out of relatively basic but solid quantitative evidence, and thus the book should be an accessible read at either the undergraduate or graduate level."--Kelley Strawn, American Journal of Sociology "The book's perspective is enticing, not to say timely... The book's effort to overcome the clash of values between Islam and the West is quite laudable."--Jocelyne Cesari, Journal of Church and State


Awards
Short-listed for Choice Magazine Outstanding Reference/Academic Book Award 2015.



Book Information
ISBN 9780691173627
Author Paul M. Sniderman
Format Paperback
Page Count 200
Imprint Princeton University Press
Publisher Princeton University Press
Weight(grams) 312g