The hostility towards Islam that is experienced in European countries started to emerge when the Soviet Union dissolved and the Warsaw Pact countries regained their independence. In those years the enemy concept of Communism and Marxism vanished and people who were in need to find a new enemy concept started looking at the 1.2 billion Muslims living in 57 countries. And certain Islamist organizations gave reasons for this approach.
Faruk Şen The hostility towards Islam that is experienced in European countries started to emerge when the Soviet Union dissolved and the Warsaw Pact countries regained their independence. In those years the enemy concept of Communism and Marxism vanished and people who were in need to find a new enemy concept started looking at the 1.2 billion Muslims living in 57 countries. And certain Islamist organizations gave reasons for this approach.
The basis for such an enemy concept in Europe was laid by the FIS movement in Algeria, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the Taliban in Afghanistan, Khomeini in Iran and certain Turkish fundamentalist groups. After the attack on the Twin Towers in New York on the Sept. 11, 2001, prejudice against Islam has grown.
In general, the phenomenon of Islam phobia, as we know it today, surfaced in Europe after the terror attacks in Madrid. The terror attacks in Istanbul had no particular impact in Europe at first. This has changed after the tube bombings in London when Islam phobia started to be more and more present in Europe. Islam phobia reached its current state after incidents like the murder of the Dutch film director Van Gogh, who was killed in November 2004 by an Islamist of Moroccan origin because he had offended Islam. In response the extreme right-wing tried to stir the public into action. Muslim mosques and businesses in Holland, one of the most multicultural countries in Europe, were attacked.
The riots in France in late 2005 by gangs of youths of Maghreb origin further pushed growth of Islam phobia. Currently Islam phobia is most developed in Holland, France, Germany and Austria. Germany's second largest federal-state, Baden-Württemberg, is preparing a naturalization test for Muslims. Within the framework of this test Muslims are perceived as potential terrorists. Similar trends can be observed in Austria and Holland. In all these countries an opinion that living together with Muslims won't be possible is slowly taking root.
The �clash of cultures� view as described by Samuel Huntington is increasing in popularity. In the meantime, the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) is watching events and even displays a supportive attitude instead of being alerted by the recent developments. The EU countries are applying double standards: They defended freedom of the press in case of the Danish cartoons about Islam and remained idle in preventing such publications, but were very sensitive when it came to jokes about the pope in an animated television show and took steps to prohibit it.
There is huge evidence for the existence of Islam phobia. In this respect Turkey should take this matter into hand without further delay and should advise Europe, which has prejudices against Islam. This issue has to be brought before UNESCO, the OSCE and the European Parliament. That the Council of Europe still hasn't dealt with this problem is a shame for both this institution and Turkey, which is the single most important Muslim member country in it.
Turkey shouldn't ignore the needs of the 4 million Turks living in the EU in this respect any longer. Now it's time for the politicians, countries and civil society organizations to act. The 15 million Muslims living in the EU have not deserved the way this issue has recently developed. Events like honor killings, which are done by a few twisted persons, backfire on all Muslims and fuel the fire of Islam phobia even more.
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=47835
Faruk Şen The hostility towards Islam that is experienced in European countries started to emerge when the Soviet Union dissolved and the Warsaw Pact countries regained their independence. In those years the enemy concept of Communism and Marxism vanished and people who were in need to find a new enemy concept started looking at the 1.2 billion Muslims living in 57 countries. And certain Islamist organizations gave reasons for this approach.
The basis for such an enemy concept in Europe was laid by the FIS movement in Algeria, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the Taliban in Afghanistan, Khomeini in Iran and certain Turkish fundamentalist groups. After the attack on the Twin Towers in New York on the Sept. 11, 2001, prejudice against Islam has grown.
In general, the phenomenon of Islam phobia, as we know it today, surfaced in Europe after the terror attacks in Madrid. The terror attacks in Istanbul had no particular impact in Europe at first. This has changed after the tube bombings in London when Islam phobia started to be more and more present in Europe. Islam phobia reached its current state after incidents like the murder of the Dutch film director Van Gogh, who was killed in November 2004 by an Islamist of Moroccan origin because he had offended Islam. In response the extreme right-wing tried to stir the public into action. Muslim mosques and businesses in Holland, one of the most multicultural countries in Europe, were attacked.
The riots in France in late 2005 by gangs of youths of Maghreb origin further pushed growth of Islam phobia. Currently Islam phobia is most developed in Holland, France, Germany and Austria. Germany's second largest federal-state, Baden-Württemberg, is preparing a naturalization test for Muslims. Within the framework of this test Muslims are perceived as potential terrorists. Similar trends can be observed in Austria and Holland. In all these countries an opinion that living together with Muslims won't be possible is slowly taking root.
The �clash of cultures� view as described by Samuel Huntington is increasing in popularity. In the meantime, the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) is watching events and even displays a supportive attitude instead of being alerted by the recent developments. The EU countries are applying double standards: They defended freedom of the press in case of the Danish cartoons about Islam and remained idle in preventing such publications, but were very sensitive when it came to jokes about the pope in an animated television show and took steps to prohibit it.
There is huge evidence for the existence of Islam phobia. In this respect Turkey should take this matter into hand without further delay and should advise Europe, which has prejudices against Islam. This issue has to be brought before UNESCO, the OSCE and the European Parliament. That the Council of Europe still hasn't dealt with this problem is a shame for both this institution and Turkey, which is the single most important Muslim member country in it.
Turkey shouldn't ignore the needs of the 4 million Turks living in the EU in this respect any longer. Now it's time for the politicians, countries and civil society organizations to act. The 15 million Muslims living in the EU have not deserved the way this issue has recently developed. Events like honor killings, which are done by a few twisted persons, backfire on all Muslims and fuel the fire of Islam phobia even more.
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=47835
