This book critically engages with the contemporary breakdown of trust between Muslim and
non-Muslim communities in the West. It argues that a crisis of trust currently hampers
intercultural relations and obstructs full participation in citizenship and civil society for
those who fall prey to the suspicions of the state and their fellow citizens. This crisis of
trust presents a challenge to the plurality of modern societies where religious identities have
come to demand an equal recognition and political accommodation which is not consistently
awarded across Europe especially in nations which view themselves as secular or where Islamic
culture is seen as alien.This volume of interdisciplinary essays by leading scholars explores
the theme of trust and multiculturalism across a range of perspectives employing insights from
political science sociology literature ethnography and cultural studies. It provides an
urgent critical response to the challenging contexts of multiculturalism for Muslims in both
Europe and the USA. Taken together the contributions suggest that the institutionalisation of
multiculturalism as a state-led vehicle for tolerance and integration requires a certain type
of trustworthy 'performance' from minority groups particularly Muslims. Even when this
performance is forthcoming existing discourses of integration and underlying patterns of
mistrust can contribute to Muslim alienation on the one hand and rising Islamophobia on the
other.
