Immigrant assimilation 'will take generations'
Expatica.com
17/03/2010
The children of Turkish and Moroccan immigrants practice their religion less rigorously than their parents. However, researchers from the University of Utrecht and the Social and Cultural Planning Office SCP say an overwhelming majority of the group still see themselves as Muslim.
The conclusions are based on a survey of nearly 2000 members of the Turkish-Dutch and Moroccan-Dutch communities made a few years ago. The respondents answered questions including about how often they prayed. They were also asked to what extent they agreed with the statement: My religion should not be a matter of discussion.
The second-generation immigrants were found to be less religious because of growing up in a secular society. Another conclusion was that the full assimilation of the +immigrant groups will take a number of generations.
The researchers looked at how vibrant religious feelings and practices were in the two generations. The younger generation scored significantly lower on both counts.
Although an overwhelming majority, of them still see themselves as Muslims, this majority is smaller than among their parents generation. Only 5 percent of the older immigrants denied belonging to a religion, compared to 12 percent of the younger generation.
