Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online Volume 1, Issue 1 | Page 26

2/2/2016

Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

Slovakia, where Islamic presence is not large. Since the countries with relatively large Muslim populations, such as Albania, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Macedonia draw more attention in the general literature, it is understandable that they are not included in this volume.
Yet, it would be intriguing to read about Islam in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Moldova and Belarus in a subsequent work, when
resources permit doing work on these cases.
In a similar vein, the book made me think about the way, in which its line of research might develop to consider transnational relations between
autochthonous Muslim groups in the region. The volume makes it clear that cross-border relations with the Middle East are especially strong among
the migrant Muslim communities. Moreover, it is understandable that some autochthonous Tatar communities may feel uncomfortable interacting
with those across the border, possibly due to uneasy relations between the “parent” states. For example, as this volume points out, a leading
Lithuanian Tatar imam would emphasize the distinct Lithuanian Tatar identity over a common identity with Polish Tatars. Still, one might expect
that the process of democratization in Eastern Europe and its ongoing integration in the European Union and Schengen would make it easier for at
least the Tatar communities in Poland, Lithuania and Romania to communicate with stronger and well established Finnish Tatars, and with those
who arrived more recently to Central Europe, such as the Tatars of Germany. The First European Tatar Youth Forum held in Riga, Latvia, in April
of 2012, shows that such trans-border relations are possible.
Similarly, it is interesting to note whether an active participation of Poland in NATO operations in areas populated by Muslims, such as Kosovo,
Bosnia, Macedonia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and the Golan Heights, was facilitated by the presence of indigenous Muslim populations within
Polish borders.
The book is well composed and the production errors are minor. Even when they are present, it is possible to discern the intended meaning from the
context. For example, in a chapter on Polish Tatars, the author selected for research those Polish Tatars who identify with the Tatar ethnic group, as
opposed to those who would think of themselves as Poles of Tatar descent, and are “practicing Islamists” (p. 54). From the rest of the chapter it
appears that the author probably meant “practicing Muslims,” not politically minded Islamists. However, language related issues are insignificant
and the substantive contribution of the book by far overshadows any formatting and stylistic deficiencies, which are minor.
In conclusion, this volume represents an important contribution to Islamic, East European and Slavic studies. It, therefore, is a must-have book for
anyone interested in the cross-section of these areas of study. The book should also be of importance to audiences interested in theoretical issues
elaborated in the volume, which go beyond Islamic and Post-Communist studies.

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