Muslims in Greece

Abstract

Greece is one of the European countries where Islam is present under two forms: A) A minority group, according to the traditional legal content of the term, placed within the framework of the post-Ottoman legacy, and B) An immigrant population of late settlement. Greek law regulates these phenomena from a rather different point of view. The basic idea of the law governing Muslims in Greece is founded on two criteria: citizenship and territory. The Muslims of Greek citizenship are granted special rights when they are residents of Thrace. Muslims who live outside Thrace and foreign Muslims are not subject to any special regime. At all events, the legal regulations pertaining to a certain religious affiliation serve a dual purpose: to grant as few rights as possible or to grant minority rights tantamount to segregation. Non-territorial autonomy and territorial autonomy are thus intermingled. In fact, this approach has brought about long-lasting social, legal and political implications.