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Over 15 years ago a former newspaper editor said to me, `the problem with integrating with Muslims is that you never meet them in the pub.’ I wasn’t sure how to respond to a comment which saw the British pub the desired venue for cultural integration but still I’ve often reflected on what he said. It was less about drinking alcohol and more about where and how does one integrate with different communities. This question hasn’t gone away especially when it comes to Muslims as can be seen by the publication of a government review on integration by Louise Casey this week. Living in the UK, I’ve seen the full spectrum of Muslim views and lifestyles. They range from those who don’t understand what the fuss is about or feel unfairly targeted because they see Britain as their home where they live and work alongside others quite happily, to those who have no sense of anything else outside their cultural comfort zones. The latter have created an inward, isolationist Islam, one which thrives on imaginary bonds and loyalties and fails to reject the cultural attitudes which prevents them from being active and engaged citizens. Multiculturalism has become one of the most divisive political issues in the west today. There are those who feel aggrieved that successive governments have imposed this political experiment which some argue has failed not only in the UK but in wider Western Europe. Much of the concern isn’t about the visible ethnic diversity of multiculturalism but the values individuals bring to society. It seems to me that the issue for many is whether Muslims ultimately hold different values which will inevitably clash with the values of liberal democracies and civil societies of the west? This question has a long and contested history but whatever one thinks, the question continues to shape European politics as well as challenge what it means to be European today. It’s often argued that the whole point of a liberal society is that it allows people to be who they are, and for them to choose who they want to associate with. The state may not be able to enforce an ideal integration but it can bring about opportunities which inspire people to be less socially and intellectually segregated, not just between religious communities but between all sectors of society. The Qur’an itself says we haven’t been made a single community because we need to learn how to come together. This has to be a good thing for us all because without shared space we cannot have shared values. Who we mix with or have as friends says something about us and what we value. And for some Muslims, it may well be that once they step outside their communities, they’ll have new opportunities to live out the best of their faith.