Europe's Muslims are the product of immigration in the postwar years, when workers were recruited from Turkey, North Africa and the Indian subcontinent to meet the war-shattered Continent's manpower needs. While the first generation jealously guarded their cultural links with their homeland, their children and grandchildren have often felt torn between two cultures. "What I'm saying is, be proud of who you are," says Ramadan. "We've got to get away from the idea that scholars in the Islamic world can do our thinking for us. We need to start thinking for ourselves."

That means making European mosques independent of foreign funding and influence. It also means rereading the founding texts and producing a body of Islamic thought in European languages. Ramadan's recent book, To Be a European Muslim, was written in English; editions in German, Italian and Dutch are all forthcoming. And Ramadan's message isn't intended for Muslims alone. "The real question is about spirituality," he says. "If the presence of Muslims leads Europeans to think about who they are and what they believe in, that has to be positive." Thanks partly to Ramadan, Islam is on its way to becoming an integral part of Europe's religious landscape.