more important to them than the laws of the
country in which they live. Three quarters
(75%) of the respondents hold the opinion
that there is only one legitimate interpretation
of the Koran, which should apply to all
Muslims, and nearly 60% of Muslims believe
their community should return to “Islamic
roots.”^258One of the two authors of the above study went on to say:
These findings clearly contradict the often-
heard claim that Islamic religious
fundamentalism is a marginal phenomenon
in Western Europe or that it does not differ
from the extent of fundamentalism among
the Christian majority. Both claims are
blatantly false, as almost half of European
Muslims agree that Muslims should return
to the roots of Islam, that there is only one
interpretation of the Koran, and that the
rules laid down in it are more important
than secular laws. Among native Christians,
less than one in 25 can be characterized as
fundamentalists in this sense.^259Thus we have good reasons for doubting any claims that
“Islamists” are a minority of Muslims in the West (assuming
the distinction between “Muslims” and “Islamists” has any
validity). As with any group of people solely united by