Hon. Mohammed Chaib

Parliament of Catalan, Spain

Being a Muslim Parliamentarian in Spain

Abstract

In his paper, Mr Mohammed Chaif provides an overview on the impact of government social policy – local and central – on the establishment and provision of social support networks for Spanish Muslims.  In addition, he reflects on the important role of Imams in the provision of support, advocacy and counselling to Muslim families and individuals in Cataluña, Spain.  Finally, Mr Chaif provides his assessment of problems affecting third or fourth generation young Muslims in Europe, in particular France, and some of the issues that are leading them to reject their country of birth.   Finally, he discusses possible ways in which the West and Muslim societies can deal with extremism and, in particular, prevent the recruitment of disaffected Muslim youth by fundamentalist organisations.

Bio

Mohammed Chaib was born in Tangier (Morocco) in 1962 and was educated between Catalonia and Morocco.  Chaib came to Spain with his family at 4 years, and then returned to Morocco in 1974, continuing his studies at the Spanish Institute of Tangier.  Once he finished the C.O.U., he returned to Spain at the University of Granada, where he started his studies of Pharmacy, to be completed much later.

He founded the Association Cultural Partner IBN BATUTA of great recognition and prestige in Spain, and became a member of the Immigration Integration Forum of the state.  Additionally, Chaib became a part of the Consell Asesor d’Immigració de la Generalitat de Cataluña.

In 2000, he promoted the Constituion of the Islamic Cultural Counsel of Catalonia, an institution that unified the country’s mosques and Imams.  His great effort, is dedicated to his belief in the dialogue between and coexistence of the diverse cultures in Catalonia and Spain.  For seven years, he has been directing the course “Sons and Daughters of Immigrant families in Schools,” organized by the European Institute of the Mediterranean and by the Department of Education of The Generalitat of Catalonia.

In 2003, he was elected as Deputy by the Socialist Party in Catalonia in the Catalan Parliament, being the first Deputy of Arab and Muslim origin in Spain.