blackfox
Apr 26, 2004, 11:49 AM
On the front page of todays NYT, I read an article titled:
militants in Europe openly call for Jihad and the rule of Islam
As the title suggests, some are concerned about the increasingly vocal call to Jihad by Islamic expatriates living in the UK, Germany, France and Switzerland (among others). These expatriates openly support Bin Laden and Al Qaeda and the dissolution of western democracy and the establishment of an Islamic "superstate". Islamic militant recruitment is seen as way up (although exact figures are unknown) and is seen as a direct cause of the debacle in Iraq. Some are going to Iraq to fight, but others are staying in their adopted homelands, seemingly ready to strike if Europe does not abide by the terms of Bin Ladens' truce released a few weeks ago (pullout of troops etc). The difficulty in deporting people in most European countries, due to liberal law has exacerbated any attempts to quell this seemingly open sedition...this brings up some interesting points:
1)Many mainstream Islamic leaders, who do not support such views, are worried both about fracture w/in their faith as well as the "demonization" of Islam in the minds of the non-muslim populace.
2)Brings into light the problem of respecting the civil liberties of ones' citizens, while trying to combat destabilizing and perhaps openly terrorist tactics
3)With the visit of Jean-Marie Le Pen, a French far-right leader w/ unusual broad-based support from European Rightists, to the UK to visit the British National Party (white-supremacists, at least in part)...and a larger trend of rightist, xenophobic gains in European polls...there is the possibility of something really nasty brewing in Europe...
I think this is very troubling news, for reasons listed and others I am sure you can imagine...any comments on this turn of events? I was particularily drawn to this article because it mentions Luton, Bedfordshire...which is where I grew up (dunstable, actually)...brings it a little close to home...(Please, I know Luton is a s**thole, with a crap football team, so no jokes about that.)
militants in Europe openly call for Jihad and the rule of Islam
As the title suggests, some are concerned about the increasingly vocal call to Jihad by Islamic expatriates living in the UK, Germany, France and Switzerland (among others). These expatriates openly support Bin Laden and Al Qaeda and the dissolution of western democracy and the establishment of an Islamic "superstate". Islamic militant recruitment is seen as way up (although exact figures are unknown) and is seen as a direct cause of the debacle in Iraq. Some are going to Iraq to fight, but others are staying in their adopted homelands, seemingly ready to strike if Europe does not abide by the terms of Bin Ladens' truce released a few weeks ago (pullout of troops etc). The difficulty in deporting people in most European countries, due to liberal law has exacerbated any attempts to quell this seemingly open sedition...this brings up some interesting points:
1)Many mainstream Islamic leaders, who do not support such views, are worried both about fracture w/in their faith as well as the "demonization" of Islam in the minds of the non-muslim populace.
2)Brings into light the problem of respecting the civil liberties of ones' citizens, while trying to combat destabilizing and perhaps openly terrorist tactics
3)With the visit of Jean-Marie Le Pen, a French far-right leader w/ unusual broad-based support from European Rightists, to the UK to visit the British National Party (white-supremacists, at least in part)...and a larger trend of rightist, xenophobic gains in European polls...there is the possibility of something really nasty brewing in Europe...
I think this is very troubling news, for reasons listed and others I am sure you can imagine...any comments on this turn of events? I was particularily drawn to this article because it mentions Luton, Bedfordshire...which is where I grew up (dunstable, actually)...brings it a little close to home...(Please, I know Luton is a s**thole, with a crap football team, so no jokes about that.)
