Washington finally notices the problem of Muslims in Europe -- and intervenes not to help Europe defend itself and its culture, but to help Muslims there. After all, "the unrest that existed in poor neighborhoods had nothing to do with jihad and much to do with social conditions." Money, in other words, will solve this problem as it does all others. Doesn't it? By Nicholas Kralev in the Washington Times, with thanks to all who sent this in:
The State Department, concerned about a "nativist surge" in Western Europe, has created a position to coordinate efforts to reach out to European Muslims and help them better integrate into society, a senior official said yesterday.Daniel Fried, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, said U.S. embassies and consulates in Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands and other countries will decide what exactly they can do, instead of "Washington bureaucrats dreaming this up."
The growing Muslim presence in Europe is "a fascinating issue and one that the American government is just now trying to get its mind around," Mr. Fried told editors and reporters at The Washington Times. "It's a huge problem, we are thinking about it seriously, and we've tried to do some intellectual framing-up."
Not enough, evidently.
Farah Pandith, until recently a staffer on the National Security Council (NSC), moved to the State Department last week to head the new effort.Unrest among Muslims in Europe, particularly those who have turned to extremist acts such as the 2005 London transit system bombings, has spurred a heated debate across the continent.
The French government, for example, now regrets having resettled North African immigrants in de facto ghettos, where unemployment and bad schooling led to desperation among young people, Paris' ambassador to Washington, Jean-David Levitte, told The Times last month.
"The unrest that existed in poor neighborhoods had nothing to do with jihad and much to do with social conditions," he said. "That's why we have to put the emphasis on improving the social conditions -- schools, jobs, better housing -- and hopefully all this will trigger better absorption in the social fabric of France of this minority."
Mr. Fried said that a "process of alienation" is occurring within Europe's Muslim communities, and that their host countries have "no sense of integration."
"Europe has to learn to do that," he said. "You have a weird nativist surge in Western Europe, and a kind of odd panic: Aliens are here, they don't accept our values, they are a threat to our way of life and turn to radicalism."
No notice is given, of course, to the forces within Muslim communities in Europe that have actively resisted assimilation -- or as the Arab European League's Dyab Abou Jahjah put it, "Assimilation is cultural rape" -- or to the significance of the fact that such forces even exist.
"a fascinating issue and one that the American government is just now trying to get its mind around,"
Sure, buy peace with taxpayers money and toss your culture aside in favor of a minority.
Problem solved.
LOL
"-- or as the Arab European League's Dyab Abou Jahjah put it, 'Assimilation is cultural rape'..."
As opposed to the plain old natural rape that the jihaddis seem to prefer.
Poor guys always misunderstood. Somehow this does sound like the words of an American investigation of Muslims in Europe.
That is how we bombed Yugoslavia, same investigative techniques, blame everything on the host.
How much investigating went into the allowing of Muslims into Kosovo to do what they do and hope that they will fit in? Well we've seen that result, and the French, Brits and everyone else in Europe will see what happens when they have more numbers on their side.
All these problems are happening with relatively small percentages making up their countries population. At what point are the powers that be going to see that given enough time every country in Europe will look like Turkey, 99-100% Muslim.
Niv
Actually, if it was good enough for the US to do in Serbia, why not extend it to the rest of the continent?
I hope they go ahead, so that Europe elects anti-Islamic parties across the board. Once they do, the US Left would be bereft of foreign inspirations.
Just don't open our own doors to Mohammedan immigrants.
It doesn't matter if they congregate in ghettos or live in the wider community.
When push comes to shove, islam is islam.
I find the only weirdness in this 'nativist surge' is that it has taken so long to gain momentum. After repeated threats and assaults, why so long?
What astonishes me is that State presumes to stick their uninformed heads into European business. We shall deal with the bastards ourselves, thank you very much. In case you hadn't noticed, we are not your colonies. Find something else to spend your taxpayers' money on.
God dammit this is so frustrating. Our government finally realizes that our allies (and I use the term loosely here) might be in conflict with their Muslims and they think the Muslims are the oppressed ones!
They're worried about a race war, "nativist surges"? A lot of people like Bruce Bawer have speculated that Europeans might panic and turn to Nazi-esque groups to protect them from the hordes of Muslims invading their lands. It's always been a possibility but a distant one.
A big problem is that people look at Muslims and see "They're brown, we're not.” Then the PC types and all the other people who get squirmy around the idea of "race relations" make stupid decisions and compromise what should be a ruthless war against a violent ideology bent on destroying us.
We have to repeat loudly, clearly and unwaveringly that Islam is NOT a race. As it's adherents love to point out, it's theoretically open to everyone regardless of skin color.
BTW: I've noticed this on sites like these a lot, and I believe it hurts our credibility, so I want to address it. Although at times Islam seems little more than a vehicle for Arab cultural imperialism 'Muslim' and 'Arab' should not be used interchangeably. An Arab can’t change being an Arab, a Muslim can stop being a Muslim. It looks just looks stupid when someone here rants against "Arabs" and it gives ammunition to our critics.
"BTW: I've noticed this on sites like these a lot, and I believe it hurts our credibility, so I want to address it. Although at times Islam seems little more than a vehicle for Arab cultural imperialism 'Muslim' and 'Arab' should not be used interchangeably. An Arab can’t change being an Arab, a Muslim can stop being a Muslim. It looks just looks stupid when someone here rants against "Arabs" and it gives ammunition to our critics."
... posted by JadeDragoness above.
Well said!!! Especially since most Muslims are not Arabs and many Arabs are Christians, Mandeans, and Yezidis. It is just like the old Cold-War polemics that failed to distinguish between Soviets and Russians. One is an ideology and the other is a nationality. Just as the Soviets oppressed Russians, Ukrainians, Armenians etc. so now Islam oppresses millions of Arabs, Persians, Pathans, Punjabis, etc. We should be working for their liberation not hating them. ALL non-Muslims living under the oppression of the Ummah deserve our full support and those who are willing to abandon Islam, especially at risk to their own lives, should be treated as heroes.
What else can you expect from a government that has us supporting (and paying for) all three sides in the Iraqi Civil War? These clueless, pathetic, elitists view multiculturalism as a basic tenet of their religious faith. It just HAS to work.... even though it never has...anywhere, any time.
"a kind of odd panic: Aliens are here, they don't accept our values, they are a threat to our way of life"
and that is not something to be alarmed about ?where was Daniel Fried on 9/11 ?
why does he sound so smug ?
is it because he is an idiot, or because he thinks he is now backing the winners in Europe ?
or is it just that he wants to make me very, very angry ?
i really need to go and think about something else now...
I LEARNED THIS FROM MY RABBIS, YEARS AGO:
"Assimilation is cultural rape"
...AND WE ALL KNOW THAT ISLAM IS A PAGAN PARODY OF JUDAISM FOR RETARDS!
===============
KEEP FIDDLING NERO! JUST KEEP FIDDLE FUCKING AROUND!
The State Department is populated by a bunch of idiots and traitors. In a short while there will be also be a nativist surge here in the U.S.
Considering the history of American support for Muslims in any conflict with non-Muslims, one can only hope, that in a future conflict in England, or anywhere in Western Europe, between Muslims and "nativists", the USA does not bomb the "nativists".
This MR Fried, a career diplomat in the State dept, is advising Putin how to build the institutions in a country. Oh the irony. So why is the State dept known as Foggy Bottom. Its not a weather thing is it?
On second thought, I should not be too hard on the State dept - they are afterall, modelled on the FO Arabists in the UK.
What astonishes me is that State presumes to stick their uninformed heads into European business. We shall deal with the bastards ourselves, thank you very much. In case you hadn't noticed, we are not your colonies. Find something else to spend your taxpayers' money on.
Posted by: Paolo
Thank You, Paolo, for speaking up! I really have enough of the Americans always pushing moslems on us too! They are always pushing for Turkey in the EU. Then they bombed Free Serbia. I am beginning to see a pattern here. They wanted to force Germany to accept the Euro - thinking to weaken Germany. Since that didn't work they now seem to want to weaken all of Europe by throwing us to the moslems. Turning us from an industrial competitor into a market only. Am I off my rocker or does this indeed look like a trend here?
Paolo is right though. We are noone's colonies. Not yet, anyway. The USA should be working to keep us FREE - not the contrary.
Yes, we all know who saved Europe's ass in WW2. But that doesn't give them the right to replace the Nazis with Muftis and Mullas either!
Where will Americans travel to when the Gallerie delle Uffizi are closed for Ramadan? When the Venus de Milo is in a burka and the Mona Lisa has been besmirched and the Scala has been turned into a mosk???!!!
Better copy it all now for Disneyland before the moslems defile it all!
Cindi - your Rice behind needs to STAY OUT of Europe and Israel! You're making things worse!
"The unrest that existed in poor neighborhoods had nothing to do with jihad and much to do with social conditions," he said. "That's why we have to put the emphasis on improving the social conditions -- schools, jobs, better housing -- and hopefully all this will trigger better absorption in the social fabric of France of this minority."
_____________
If only it WERE just a matter of social conditions, and not religious motivation, that spurred these acts of violence. Social conditions could be improved, but I will predict here that, even with the social conditions improved, Europe and the USA will find that in the end it really isn't about social conditions, but about a deep-seated religious conviction of the superiority of Islam and the need to advance its cause through any means, including violence. Money does not changed the religious conviction. I know that religion doesn't mean anything to Europe and the USA, but it does in the Middle East. Get a clue Europe and USA.. MONEY is NOT going to solve the problem. Dealing with the religious motivation will, but if you can't even accept that it IS religious motivation... then we can't even deal with the real problem. Our government leaders are betraying us. They, along with the terrorists, are the ones that are threatening our very lives with their lack of action. I hope that they, the government, act in way that is needed to protect it citizens. Pretty soon if the government does not act... then the citizens will have to act. (ala Thomas Jefferson.)
Considering the history of American support for Muslims in any conflict with non-Muslims, one can only hope, that in a future conflict in England, or anywhere in Western Europe, between Muslims and "nativists", the USA does not bomb the "nativists".
Posted by: DP111
They're population bombing us! So they Euros don;t act like good little allies and they want to throw us to the moslems and give them aid and comfort against "nativists"?? We are NATIVES, first of all. And it is up to US whether we want these Mofoes in our countries or not. This is NOT up to some champagne-sucking sellouts at some UN [your tax money] sponsored Nobel party to decide. We the people aren;t quite ready to go along with their plans. We will NOT be led like lambs to the halal slaughter!
If ONLY I'd known then what I know now when the Clintons attacked Serbia! Bin Laden's had a Bosniak passport since 1993 !!!!!!!!
Tell me the Clintons didn't KNOW that??!! Ditto for the State Department.
Administrations come and go, but we are stuck for ever with the mindless and arrogant bureaucrats that enjoy tenure at the State Department, CIA, FBI, etc, etc. Where do we get these fools? Remember Wolfowitz, Armitage, and
the apologist for the old Soviet Union,or Cuba?
That we have survived in spite of their obtuseness is a wonder.
We should have a wall of shame and inscribe their names next to their failed initiatives, in order for the enlightenment of future generations of bureaucrats.
"Just don't open our own doors to Mohammedan immigrants."
Posted by: Infidel Pride
Gov. Strickland: No Iraq refugees in Ohio
COLUMBUS - Gov. Ted Strickland on Wednesday had a message for President Bush: any plan to relocate thousands of refugees uprooted by the Iraq war to the U.S. shouldn't include Ohio.
The Bush administration plans to allow about 7,000 Iraqi refugees to settle in the United States over the next year, a huge expansion at a time of mounting international pressure to help millions who have fled their homes in the nearly four-year-old war.
The United States has allowed only 463 Iraq refugees into the country since the war began in 2003, even though some 3.8 million have been uprooted.
[...]
Get a hanky and read it all:
http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070215/NEWS01/702150364
These days, the Dems seem to be making the right noises. Well, I never. Whatever one may think about Strickland's views on the war, kudos to him for saying that Iraqis are not welcome.
Iraqi Shia refugees should go to Syria, and dilute the Sunni population there. Iraqi Sunnis should go to Saudi Arabia, where too they'll be free of rule by the Rafidite dogs.
Federal Government to Gov. Strickland well no more federal aid for public school in your state, no more
federal aid for houseing , public safty and nation gruad in your state.
Those who don't allow the wool to be pulled over their eyes
are the same ones capable of pulling up their bootstraps and pulling together to pull their own weight. Those who can't or won't participate can pull-up stakes.
Yea, DoI, I see that sign on your shirt that says " Kick Me".
Your provocative behavior transgresses the limits and forces one to oblige.
Vaffanculo!
Federal Government to Gov. Strickland well no more federal aid for public school in your state, no more
federal aid for houseing , public safty and nation gruad in your state.
Posted by: DefenderofIslam
Where do you work, bitch? State Department?
What astonishes me is that State presumes to stick their uninformed heads into European business. We shall deal with the bastards ourselves, thank you very much. In case you hadn't noticed, we are not your colonies. Find something else to spend your taxpayers' money on.
Posted by: Paolo at February 15, 2007 01:35 PM
Amen to that! Well, this removes all doubt that the illustrious geniuses in Washington have been "pretending" that islam is a peaceful religion until we get out of Iraq. The idiots really are clueless!!!
Instead of defending the implacable, belligerent, jihadist muslims in Europe, these arrogant, uninformed jackasses should be studying the dangerous expansion of the Wahabbi hate cult and its pernicious influence in America. What in the name of God will it take for these morons to understand that islam is incompatible with Western Civilization? How much more evidence do they need?!
I guess they plan to teach the snobby Europeans how to assimilate their peasant immigrants, just like we assimilate illegal Mexicans (not). What a joke! The muslims in America are no more assimilated than in Europe, there just aren't as many of them here and they're not brazen enough to copy the despicable antics of their European counterparts. They are craven wimps with big mouths until they spawn enough reinforcements. These ignorant fools would be wise to study the deplorable and volatile situation in Europe very carefully because our day is coming, thanks to the criminal negligence of those in charge of immigration and national security. And it won't take twenty-five years for Americans to become fed up with muslim arrogance, identity politics, and victimhood, and government appeasement of muslim demands.
I wish I could observe this monumental endeavor. How does one "assimilate" a group of supremacist megalomaniacs that plans to conquer the European continent and subjugate the natives? Finally Europe starts to wake up and our State Department rushes to the aid of our mutual enemy. European muslims are "free"; isn't that what "all people" want? According to Condi and GWB, "freedom" is the panacea for radical islam. So why aren't muslim immigrants well-adjusted, productive European citizens? Could it possibly be because islam interdicts personal freedom? These compassionate bureaucrats don't have time to learn about and understand islam and its consummate control of every aspect of muslims' lives. When will it sink into their dense heads that Western values and thought are alien concepts to muslims? Never?
[...]
Posted by: DefenderofIslam
Affanculo sporchi islamofascisti.
Get the F*** out of OUR lands!!!!
We don't NEED vampires, killers and bloodsuckers.
How does one "assimilate" a group of supremacist megalomaniacs that plans to conquer the European continent and subjugate the natives? Finally Europe starts to wake up and our State Department rushes to the aid of our mutual enemy. European muslims are "free"; isn't that what "all people" want?
They are certainly FREE TO LEAVE!!!
From MP above:
What else can you expect from a government that has us supporting (and paying for) all three sides in the Iraqi Civil War? These clueless, pathetic, elitists view multiculturalism as a basic tenet of their religious faith. It just HAS to work.... even though it never has...anywhere, any time.
MP you are right. State's knowledge of Islam has been obtained totally from the Georgetown bunch financed by Saudi Arabia. No wonder they are so clueless. They continue to do incredibly stupid things. The entire USAID program for Muslims should be shelved.
Our Euro friends should keep in mind that their peeve should be directed against the State Department, and the other kakistocrats in Washington, not the American people. We - those of us who know about it - totally sympathesize with your plight and urge you to bring down the fools in your governments that are giving the Muslims safe harbor. Some of us are beginning to wish we had a parlimentary form of government on this side of the pond where we could more easily get rid of the clueless and the traitors.
Just more arrogance and foolishness from the State Department. Idiots!
One thing I would like to point out is that Europe does not necessarily want or welcome Muslim immigrants. Bat Ye'or does not seem able to distinguish between deliberate plan and putting up with what cannot be avoided. There is no physical border that can be easily patrolled and controlled; the Mediterranean is more a gateway than a barrier - there has never been a century in which tens of thousands of people moved in both directions from North Africa to Europe - and the Balkans are a positive highway, since there are local Muslim communities that speak the same language as the majority Christians. It is even harder for European countries to stop the flow of immigrants from two continents (half of whom are not, incidentally, Muslim) than for Americans to stop the avalanche of Hispanics across their long desert border; and the American border is very short as compared with the various borders that the EU, which we should regard for all practical purposes as Europe, has to guard. It follows that the build-up of a Muslim minority in Europe is inevitable. That being the case, what will be the issue is how to control it; and the simple fact - observed and misunderstood by the bureaucrats at Foggy Bottom - is that the increasing reaction on all sides save for the lunatic left, both from the governments and from the public, is for a stronger enforcement of existing law. Everyone is troubled; very few people indeed want to put into danger the legal standards by which we all live. That is why the talk from Blair, Merkel, Amato, even Sarkozy, often comes across as muted, nervous, sometimes two-faced. But the issue has become central in all major European countries (I have a suspicion that the Swedes may still be in denial). The main problem is that everyone seems to be acting on their own; Italy, France, Britain, Germany, let alone Spain with her wretched government of fanatics, each treat this as an internal problem - in each case, it is the Minister of the Interior or Home Secretary who is the leading figure - instead of an international issue. This is what will have to be tackled in the future if we want our responses to be more effective. Judges and police forces already realize that. But what nobody realizes yet is that there is a great deal of latent force in Western Europe. If and when necessary, the resources will be found to rigorously enforce the law, compel local Muslims to respect it, and extend all those kinds of activities - from social work to encourage oppressed women and other victims of abuse to leave their abusers to the projection of military and financial power internationally - to break the Muslim pressure. It will take decades, and it will necessitate people realizing that this is a new kind of war - one that creeps at a low level, that has no visible great battles and bloody clashes, and that will last a lifetime. But that is how Italy has had to deal with the Mafia; we know that victory is possible.
Meanwhile, the State Department would do us a huge favour if it stopped this sort of crap. It is bad enough that it should feel entitled to meddle with the internal politics of powerful allies; that it should do so for the wrong reasons and in the wrong way - discouraging the enforcement of law, encouraging Muslim triumphalism, crassly misapplying American categories such as "nativism" - is inexcusable. The person who produced that report should have been reassigned to a consulate in Gaborone.
Whoops... error.
there has never been a century in which tens of thousands of people moved in both directions from North Africa to Europe
"there has never been a century in which tens of thousands of people did not move in both directions, to and from Europe and North Africa"
"No notice is given, of course, to the forces within Muslim communities in Europe that have actively resisted assimilation -- or as the Arab European League's Dyab Abou Jahjah put it, "Assimilation is cultural rape" -- or to the significance of the fact that such forces even exist."
....Exactly!.....These were once well established working neighborhoods with hardworking and loyal citizens...What has occured that these neighborhoods have become slums and terrorist infested havens.....hmmmmmmm...oh it is Islamic immigration....
Ban Muslim immigration NOW....
Paolo, as a former officer of the US Dept. of State, let me extend an apology.
However, I still worry about a "nativist" surge almost anywhere. In Europe, it may well take the form of beating up on anyone swarthy--after all, a subcontinental Christian looks like any other "Paki". Here in the States, the most noteworthy victim of post-9/11 backlash violence was a Sikh. BTW, even in China, a "nativist" surge in the 1980's resulted in barbarous assaults on African students suspected of courting Chinese women--in a country whose official propaganda gleefully taunted the USA for its own racism.
More than anything else, Europe and North America need a Christian revival.
Paolo - Bravo.
Susanp - scintilating post. I like this best
European muslims are "free"; isn't that what "all people" want? According to Condi and GWB, "freedom" is the panacea for radical islam. So why aren't muslim immigrants well-adjusted, productive European citizens?
Exactly. You have well and truly skewered the "freedom is the panacea for radical islam" argument.
This whole thing is really screwed. I'm from the U.S and I agree with Paolo and Susanp (and I appologize on behalf of my idiotic government!) We here in America can only vote for the lesser of two evils, never knowing what the hell they are going to do when they get into power. Most of the time we are very pissed when we find out the stupid things they do.
I wish we could just stop sticking our nose in other peoples business for a change.
Paolo - you nailed it. Great post.
But an observation on your last sentence:
"... The person who produced that report should have been reassigned to a consulate in Gaborone."
No, if foggy bottom tradition governs, he will get the ambassadorship in London. It is the Peter Principle.
Paolo,
I liked your thoughtful piece, but I was particularly struck by these words:
"That is why the talk from Blair, Merkel, Amato, even Sarkozy, often comes across as muted, nervous, sometimes two-faced. But the issue has become central in all major European countries (I have a suspicion that the Swedes may still be in denial). The main problem is that everyone seems to be acting on their own; Italy, France, Britain, Germany, let alone Spain with her wretched government of fanatics, each treat this as an internal problem - in each case, it is the Minister of the Interior or Home Secretary who is the leading figure - instead of an international issue."
Isn't the problem that in Europe today, any trans-national issue is deemed to be a matter for the European "Union"? And since that institution is bedevilled by its inherent lack of accountability and its adherence to windy rhetoric, how could it possibly deal with a problem which threatens every country's security? Because all European leaders pay lip-service at least to the "European idea", they are hamstrung from the start.
let us not forget how the US loves the bosnian muslims and kosovo albanian muslims...they think they are great! what is so great about them?
that they have lived side by side with Christians for 500 years. That's their greatest asset.
There are many traitors in US, and many defenders of the wahabbism in the political class, yes, how many times, we have listened that Saudi Arabia is a "moderate" regime, or Pakistan, or Egypt, or Turkey, or Indonesia. Many times, too much many times.
US has to change his politics about islam, less wars, less money wasted in democracy, more "surgery" operations, more anti-propaganda, and more christianism. But wasting a lot of money in Iraq and in Afghanistan, don´t serve anything.
And protecting regimes like Saudi Arabia less.