Since antiquity, the Mediterranean basin has constantly been witnessing episodes of cultural
clashes and encounters between civilizations. Thus, the region was not unfamiliar with cultural
diversity and during the early Middle Ages Shi’i dynasties ruled in Asian, African and European
sides of the basin. Due to this presence long before the recent migratory influx, it seems that there is
not any historical discontinuity in the Shi’i presence in Europe. However, from sociological viewpoint
there is a significant difference between the former and the current presence of Shi’is in Europe.
The contemporary socio-political conditions in the region are the main responsible of this difference
that ignites curiosity about the emerging tendencies of Shi’ism and its recent evolutionary patterns.
The study of contemporary Shi’ism in Europe that examines the life-experience of Shi’is through
anthropological and sociological approaches is a relatively neglected area of research and Shi’is have
so far been subsumed under broader general narratives of mainstream Islam. This negligence is
higher where Islam is a relatively young phenomenon such as in southern Europe. Obviously, the socio-
political tendencies of the Asian countries of the Mediterranean basin and their relation with Europe
have an impact on both migratory influx and the European policies for managing the religious
minorities. Hence, the situation of Shi’is in Europe cannot be fully understood without considering
both departure and arrival points
