At the siege of Vienna in 1683 Islam seemed poised to overrun Christian Europe.
We are in a new phase of a very old war.
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Ships of State
In the Middle East the clamor for change is governmental. “How shall we live?” means “under which form of government?” Tyranny abounds; turning the ships of state toward democratic waters is a long, slow process. Think HMS Queen Mary.
In Europe, democracy is a fact. The problem is the number of Muslim immigrants who refuse to partake in the process. Europe, caught in the white water of PC thinking, has to find a way to include those who do not wish to be included. On the one hand, Europeans have to praise Tolerance, the über-virtue for all right-thinking (actually, left-thinking) intellectuals. On the other hand, how do you ‘tolerate’ casual gang-rapes, forced marriage, and the systemic misogyny of a sullen and suspicious Islam in your midst?
Bat Ye’or looks at this dismal picture and predicts dhimmitude as the final outcome for Europe. Based on the imperialism inherent in Koran, and the history of Islam’s bloody invasions and annihilation of whole cultures, she makes a good case for the eventual outcome: Eurabia. Backing this up is Europe’s (particularly France’s) willing cooperation with Arab states in her own undoing.
There are forces in play in Europe that have large consequences for the US and subsequently for the rest of the West. Do not be fooled: just because Europe appears to be on the decline does not mean that her going under would not affect the rest of us. Think HMS Queen Mary sinking. Think of those survivors floating nearby who would be sucked under with her.
Some European states have awakened to the danger, Denmark in particular. In 2002, despite the criticism of Muslims and the European intelligentsia, new laws on immigration were passed. The controversial legislation was designed in part to stop a particularly malign kind of influx: marriage partners for the under-aged and immigration of those who have an antipathy toward assimilation. Previous to the passage of these laws, Muslims returned to the old country to procure a spouse and then returned to Denmark to apply for entry to the country of their partner. We’re talking arranged marriages, usually involving underage girls and without their consent. Now, in order to bring in a spouse, both must be at least twenty-four years old and they have to prove that the marriage is consensual. They must have sufficient income and a separate residence which they own. They must also demonstrate that their primary allegiance is to Denmark. How non-PC can you get, demanding that immigrants learn your language?
These laws are working. Since their passage the number of people from outside the European Union who have come into Denmark has fallen by two thirds. There are EU restrictions also. And now immigrant parents are saying that the law has given their children more freedom. No longer fearful of being married off to strangers, of living in a parallel — separate and desperately unequal — society which crushes their freedom and opportunities, Muslim girls in Denmark have a chance to continue their education. Think HMS Queen Mary slowly righting herself.
Maybe the passengers won’t have to jump ship after all.
Meanwhile, here's a barometer: let's see what kind of reception George Bush gets when he travels to Denmark in July.
5 comments:
As I said, it's a slow turn-around. The Netherlands is toughening up its immigration laws, too. The change has begun.
Bat Ye'or says it's too late. I'm not sure.
Dymphna,
I agree with you that it would be disastrous for the whole world if Europe fell. Any nation, or continent which stands for Democracy is a City on a Hill." And the freedoms that Europe enjoys also leads to much innovation. Europe's contributions are invaluable.
I don't know whether to share your faith in Denmark, though. It is my understanding, from having read Fjordman, and from a commenter at my blog, that the police in Denmark are ceding whole neighborhoods.
Here's what I think is going on, from what I can gather. The people of Denmark, Holland, and Sweden are waking up. They are demanding immigration reform. In the case of Denmark they are getting it. But the PC momentum is very strong within their institutions. For instance, as angry as the people of Holland have been since the murder of Theo Van Gogh, we are not treated to the spectre of mainstream Dutch politicians accusing Hirsi Ali of fomenting Islamic radicalism.
Thanks, as always, for you great writing.
By the way, here's a article about Mukhtar Mai, just off the AP wire:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050611/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_rape
Thanks for the link. I notice the writer of the article mentions her little brother's problems with the Mastoi clan as though they were still open for debate. The men who sodomized him were convicted.
As for the govt. limiting her movements, that will be interesting. Either they want to make sure she's not at risk or they want to turn the knife a little -- she certainly has cost them a bundle in terms of world opinion and in court proceedings.
I just hope they don't let the army near her.
It does look dire for Europe, but so often the future holds circumstances we can't imagine. My paradigm for that is the Berlin Wall. Though there were one or two who predicted it, the great majority never saw it coming.
America is used to integration, despite the headlines in other countries. We know how to fold in very dissimilar peoples. The tensions in Europe between Muslims and Europeans are to some extent similar to those between blacks and whites in this country. The former have a great deal of suspicion and resentment; they play the politics of anger. Some of the latter go along with this; they love the one-up satisfaction of rescuing victims.
We have not "solved" our race problem and we never will as long as there are people making money from keeping it going. Europe is in the same boat: follow the money to see where it feeds the problem.
I don't think dhimmitude is in the cards. I do think a very nasty battle may be though. It could get very ugly in places like France, Netherlands and the U.K.
From your mouth to God's ears.
Post a Comment