Globalization, Secularism, and Migration: A Triangular Crisis of Cultural Alienation in Muslim Societies

Uysal emphasized that the spread of Western norms through media and social networks has weakened religious beliefs, destabilized national identity, and deepened generational divides across the Islamic world.
“Colonialism played a key role in creating a rift between Muslim elites and the masses. Western cultural penetration detached elite mindsets from indigenous and religious values—a separation that still persists in many Muslim countries.”
He identified secularist policies in countries such as Turkey and Tunisia as major contributors to the cultural crisis, arguing that these approaches have distanced intellectuals from the broader society and Islamic traditions.
Rapid social change, urbanization, and large-scale migration from Muslim-majority countries to the West have added new dimensions to the identity crisis.
According to Uysal: “Muslim migrants in the West face two difficult choices: full assimilation into a foreign culture, which leads to identity dissolution, or isolation and marginalization within the host society.”
He also warned of moral collapse and the promotion of concepts such as “sexual freedom” and “LGBT ideology” in Western societies, urging Muslim families to remain vigilant in preserving their children’s religious identity.
In conclusion, Uysal called for a revival of Islamic values within educational and cultural systems across Muslim countries:
“Only through indigenous education, intergenerational dialogue, and the strengthening of Islamic cultural media can we overcome the crisis of cultural alienation.”