Western Resistance

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November 25, 2005

Europe: The Fear of Radical Islam

An interesting article appears in today's der Spiegel, carrying an interview with Jytte Klausen, author of a book, The Islamic Challenge: Politics and Religion in Western Europe. Klausen is Danish-American, and has compiled her book from research and testimonies gained in six European countries.

An interview with Bryony Jones highlights some of the observations that Klausen has made, such as this:

There is a real fear of radical imams. I spoke to a lot of people who were worried their children would fall into the hands of the radical imams because they are already alienated -- one woman told me her son had come home and said to her, "They all think I am a Muslim, they all expect the worst from me, that I am a radical, so I might as well do it." People think they can't take their children to the mosque and give them a version of Islam that is compatible with having proper aspirations for themselves in terms of education and integration. And then there is the language issue -- another man I spoke to in Stockholm said to me: "What good is a Saudi Arabian Imam to me? I am a Swedish Muslim."

Klausen talks of the emerging form of Islam called "Islam of the Book", which is less "dictated and received" than traditional Islamic worship and practice, and is somewhat similar to the first emergence of Protestantism, in that people read the Koran in small groups, and form their own opinion on what it means to them, rather than what they are told to believe. In this "revolutionary" Islam, as Klausen describes it, the role of the sermonising imam has gone.

This new approach to Muslim interpretation of core texts intrigues, but has drawbacks, as anyone can naturally draw a peaceful or an extremist perspective from reading the same text. Nor can such approaches lead to the security of unity which is sought by many Muslims who feel "on the outside".

Klausen highlights many of the issues which afflict Muslims in Europe, and rationally describes the problems created by politicians and others in Europe, whose attitudes alienate further the already marginalised.

Though her analysis of the situation seems fair and objective, Klausen's suggested solutions to the "problems" seem based on American models, as she compares the recent French rioting to the situation in the US before the civil rights movement. Suggesting that demolishing whole housing projects will resolve the alienation of French and other European youth seems naive and idealistic. Perhaps with a demographic of such diverse origins and attitudes, "one-stop-solutions" will never work.

But her observations on the current situation are interesting, and for this reason alone, I advise you to read the interview. I would think that our bookworms at Western Resistance would be well advised to think about reading Klausen's book and doing a review. Hell- I feel like getting a copy and doing it myself...

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at November 25, 2005 10:44 AM

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