Posted on 11/11/2004 10:27:54 AM PST by knighthawk
GRONINGEN, Nov 10: The Dutch EU presidency said on Wednesday that Europe risked becoming a breeding ground for Islamic extremism and that the problem had to be dealt with urgently.
"In all of Europe, young people are becoming more radical," Dutch Justice Minister Rita Verdonk told an EU conference on immigration and integration being held in this northern Dutch city.
"In the Netherlands we were able to see what happens with radicalisation," said Verdonk, who has taken a tough line on immigration since joining the conservative Dutch government.
As she spoke, Dutch police in The Hague made two arrests during a siege of a building where suspected extremists had been hiding. Earlier, three police officers were wounded by a hand grenade.
The Netherlands has been shaken by a number of serious incidents since controversial film director Theo van Gogh was murdered a week ago by a suspected Islamic radical.
Three mosques were targeted by arsonists and two by vandals over the weekend, and two Islamic schools have also been attacked.
"We must ask ourselves if we (the Netherlands) have not been naive over the past few years, and if for too long we have taken in just any one," said Verdonk.
She said the man suspected of killing van Gogh, who is in police custody, "was driven by the same dark forces which were behind the attacks on New York and Madrid," a reference to the September 11 attacks and the Spanish train bombings.
"Europe must not become a breeding ground for Islamic terrorism," she said. But she added: "We will not allow the Muslim community to be excluded and accused ... and that we enter into a spiral of fear and hate."
Speaking at the opening of the two-day conference, which is being held under tight security, Verdonk said the time for debating was short.
"We have to roll up our sleeves. Time is pressing. There are problems, we must face them," she said.
The head of the European Commission division on justice freedom and security, Jonathan Faull, said there was no place for "murder and terrorism" in a democratic society.
"Whatever the precise borderline between integration and assimilation, the law should be respected," he said.
Islam-list
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Yes, yes, yes. Naive is a good word.
Why don't we see similar wake-up calls in the rest of the EU? Note France's cowering fawning in Arafat's death, keeping the Islamists (temporarily) off their back?
It will take a huge number of murders and other attacks within europe before they wake up and realize the tremendous horror they have willingly accepted into their midst. Then they will want the US to step in and bail them out once again. If the US did, as soon as the threat was gone, europe would resort to their US bashing again.
I know we're all like, "DUH!", but I think this is very heartening that the Dutch are being so out-loud about the threat of the Islamo-fascists. If they really want to get on board with the War on Terror, they can start by out-loud supporting our efforts in Iraq.
I don't care if they're late for the train. It's better than hearing, "what Islamic problem?"
Don't call US.
I though my previous reply was not what I intended.
If our European brothers come to force again--I pray we shall unite.
I have to admit, I'm impressed that it only took the death of a filmmaker and the subsequent firefight with some of the perpetrators to get the attention of the Dutch. France, on the other hand, won't admit as much unless Le Tour Effel is demolished...
Should we invite all of Holland to FR for moral and tactical support?
"Damn. Are the US and Britain going to have to conquer Europe, again?"
NO! For the most part, they're on their own.
Bader-Meinhoff ring a bell?
With traditional religious beliefs having lost respect and almost disappearing in the UK and Europe...are these nations ripe for Islamic recruitment in an otherwise Judeo-Christian populace?
Is it too outlandish to contemplate?
RE: ..."The Dutch EU presidency said on Wednesday that Europe risked becoming a breeding ground for Islamic extremism and that the problem had to be dealt with urgently."
Ya think? Finally. One little dim-watt lightbulb flickers on in the vast pitch dark Eurabian continent.
Got news.
Mubarak, Gadaffi, etc. have all been complaining about Europe breeding extremism, and not deporting back to their countries extremists for trials.
The allegory is remarkable - "the genie is out of the bottle" Aladdin and Arabian nights - ah there's the rub.
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