Footnote to my previous post....
The Green Peril --or How Islam will clinch a Neo-Fascist Nexus between Europe, Israel, and Russia.
Creating a "Euroislam"
Ingmar Karlsson
Racism, intolerance, and narrow nationalism are currently gaining strength throughout Europe, in reaction to a level of Muslim immigration which is insignificant compared with what we are likely to encounter in the future. These problems are already so serious that they can only be solved by joint European endeavors and a consistent European immigration and refugee policy.
One prerequisite for a successful integration is that we build up our knowledge of the diversity of Islam and the varied nature of Muslim immigration. Now that the red peril has disappeared, we are often urged to believe that it has been replaced by a green Muslim threat. There is clearly a risk that this image will be exploited to reinforce a feeling of European unity, something which is at a low ebb in all west European states after the europhoric years of the late 1980s. In view of the fact that there are al-ready 10-15 million immigrants with a Muslim background in the European Union --a number equal to that of the Scandinavian members-- and that immigration from the Muslim world is going to continue, we must rid ourselves of this false negative scenario as soon as possible, a scenario which is often depicted in terms of uniform, fanatical Muslim masses preparing to storm the bastions of the West's welfare system under the green banners of Islam, with scimitars in one hand and the Koran in the other.
A policy designed to facilitate the integration of Muslim immigration groups must be based on the following prerequisites.
There are large Muslim communities in most Western European states. These communities will not only expand but they will also demand greater political influence as increasing number of Muslims become naturalized citizens and become enfranchised in their new home countries.
Muslims are not as easy to integrate and not as willing to allow themselves to be integrated as previous immigrant groups. An Islamic identity encompasses customs and traditions which are different from those which are regarded as normal in the societies in which Muslims are now living.
Demands will be made for special rights and for special status, in addition to the entitlements enjoyed by the native population. In many cases, these demands will not only be difficult to satisfy but also impossible and this will lead to tension.
Undesirable and undemocratic political tendencies in the countries of origin many be channeled into their new home countries by Muslim communities.
Both the governments of Muslim states and the various sects and organizations will attempt to exploit the immigrants for their own purposes.
In light of these factors, what is the best way to integrate Muslim immigrants? In Europe, Muslims must learn to live as a minority and to accept the
fundamental pillars of modern European societies,
that is to say pluralism and a secular social system
characterized by tolerance of people with different
political and religious viewpoints.
The objective must be an integration which is as
rapid as possible, taking into account and respecting
those who, while respecting our val-ues, wish to
maintain their own cultural and religious identity.
Muslims must themselves become active in working
for young people, so as to give a generation which has
grown up in Europe a cultural background of their
own while, at the same time, integrating socially into
their new environment. The Muslim communities must
cooperate with each other and avoid fighting out their
theological and political disputes openly on European
territory.
As a result, a ?domestic? leadership will have to
emerge, thus permitting the elimination of the label
attached to Islam as an alien and dangerous cult. This
domestic leadership will not only consist of Muslims
born in Europe but perhaps also of native converts.
Most Muslims consider that they must comply with the
laws and regulations of their new home countries but
this willingness is undermined in many quarters by
external appeals from organizations which prefer a
?pure? Islam, without compromise. As a result, we
must not tolerate the establishment of parallel political institutions.
Furthermore, we must not be too easy-going in dealing with religious and
political fanatics who use their exile in Europe for subversive activities
directed against their home countries or for internal disputes. Under no
circumstances should tolerance be extended to totalitarian views or ideas.
While we should demonstrate sympathy for Islam as a religion and ensure
that the prerequisites for the exercise of religion are as favorable as possible,
we must also demonstrate firmness with regard to compliance with our own
laws. At the same time, we must beware of regarding all religious expressions
as signs of fundamentalism or an unwillingness to adapt and become
integrated into European societies. A process of Islamization amongst
immigrants is only dangerous if it comes into conflict with the norms of
pluralistic
society and a democratic state. For many immigrants from Muslim
countries, religion and a general sense of piety are one way of counter-acting
the feeling of uprootedness which they experience. Thus, religion may be a
by-product of the break with their own cultural background and not
necessarily a protest against the new society in which they are living. Hence,
greater religiosity is not the same thing as suspicion and intolerance of a
secularized European environment but may, instead, create an inner
tranquillity which promotes tolerance and hence integration.
Individuals who devote themselves to preaching a doctrine of hatred
ag-ainst Europe and against Christianity, and who abuse our pluralistic
societies, must be dealt with firmly and rejected. But at the same time, we
must not regard radical Muslim groups as an expression of an overall
campaign to attack the Western world from within. There is no such plan and,
furthermore, there is no Muslim leadership capable of drawing up such a
campaign. Antagonism and enmity between different sects are often stronger
than hatred of the Western world.
[snip]
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