Posted on 04/19/2004 5:21:13 PM PDT by MegaSilver
First Muslims in Europe
First Muslims set foot on the European land back in 711 CE, when there were no modern European nations in existence. They were Mauritanian soldiers of General Tariq Ibn Ziyad, whose name became immortal in the geographic name Gibraltar (Gibr al-Tar, Mount of Tariq). Muslim troops landed on the territory on Roman Spain, which was illegally occupied by Barbarian hordes of Germanic Visigoths. The Moors were once citizens of the Roman Empire, therefore they felt responsible before their Spanish fellow countrymen suffering under the Germanic yoke. Let me remind that modern Spanish language belongs to the Romanic, i.e. Roman group of languages. King of Visigoths Roderick was defeated and the territory of Spain was liberated by the year 718 CE.
For about 800 years Spain was a Muslim country. But due to the bloody terror of the Inquisition the Muslim population was exterminated by the 17th century. The people were driven out or converted to Catholicism by force. But the Spanish culture still contains the Islamic traditions to this day. The architectural complex Alhambra is known worldwide. Many literary critics (including L.J. Borges) believe that the most popular masterpiece of Spanish literature, Don Quixote by Cervantes, represents an artistic adaptation of Arab Spanish author Sid Ahmed Ben-Inhali. And the most famous knight of the Spanish epos has the name Sid, which comes from Said ('Master').
History of modern Euro-Islam
Euro-Islam is a new phenomenon in Europe’s social life. It is new, but it is serious and it has promising future. Any serious prediction about the future of Europe is impossible without taking this factor into account. And while considering Europe’s traditional influence on the entire world, Euro-Islam is yet to have direct or indirect influence on the entire civilization worldwide.
The term 'Euro-Islam'appeared in 1990s. With all of its outwardly respectability, it still implies some paradox. Europe and Islam: are they compatible at all? Even back in 1996 Western thinker Samuel P. Huntington wrote in his book 'Clash of Civilizations' that Europe and Islam are two antipodes, two antagonistic civilizations. But the life itself, or the hand of Allah rather, puts everything back into its places.
Various figures say that 15 to 24 million Muslims are living in Europe right now. Not ethnic Muslims of the Volga Region in Central Russia or Muslims in the Caucasus, who have been practicing Islam for over a thousand years. Not even ethnic Muslims of the Balkans, such as Albanians, Bosnians, Pomaks (Bulgarian Muslims) or Torbeshi (Macedonian Muslims). These figures cover Western Europe only, for which Vienna and Prague are Eastern bastions.
When a tourist who is far from politics comes to Europe, he can see an unusual abundance of comparatively dark-skinned Muslims and mistakes them for guests. Large Muslim suburbs sprang up around Paris, Berlin and a number of other European cities. For the most part they are not immigrants. Their fathers and grandfathers were immigrants, but they are the new natives of Europe.
According to Russian measures, even by the most modest calculations, the number of European Muslims is not too great. But the tendency is making us tremble in awe. Not even a thousand of Muslims could be found in Europe 40 years ago. The first wave of immigrants was provoked by the French government when France wished to show favor to the Algerians, who betrayed their people’s national liberation fight for independence against French colonizers in 1954-1962. They were hypocritical Muslims. They were facing poverty, deprivation of any rights, and hard low-paying jobs. But children are not answerable for their parents. All researchers notice that the descendants of Algerian immigrants, who grew up in France, are a lot more zealous about Islam than their fathers were.
Number of European Muslims
The largest Muslim community is in France. Right now there are 5 to 7 million Muslims living there, which is 10 percent of the overall population. Islam in France has become the second religion after Catholicism. Some daring analysts are claiming that in the near future France will become the first Islamic country in Western Europe.
Besides France, large Muslim communities are also in Germany (3.4 million), Great Britain (over 2 million) and Italy (1 million).
Muslim community in Netherlands is approaching one million. In 1997 the first madrasah (Muslim school) was opened in Rotterdam. Smaller Muslim communities are scattered across all countries of Western Europe, including Finland and Ireland. But it is hard to figure out the exact number of Muslims in Europe for the simple fact that it is not clear how to count millions of illegal aliens, who are somewhat 'non-existent'.
Most of the French Muslims are descendants of natives of Arab Maghreb States (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco).
Most of the German, Dutch, Austrian and Danish Muslims (2/3) are descendants of Turkish immigrants.
Most of the British Muslims (69%) are descendants of natives of British India (Pakistan and Bangladesh).
Factors of growth of Muslim population in Europe
All analysts with no exceptions agree on the fact that the number of European Muslims is rapidly growing. The figures for the year 2000 already seem to be hopelessly outdated. These are the arguments brought up to explain this particular effect:
1. Stably high birthrate in Muslim families. The average number of children is no lower than four. In many aspects it is stimulated by the religion as well: «And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. Give them sustenance and yourselves too». (Sura 17, verse 31).
2. Dying out of the 'native' atheistic or formally Catholic population. These families believe that children may hinder them from serving their pleasures and money; this is why young couples put off a birth of a child for a later time. They rarely decide to have two children. It is also being promoted by feminist propaganda, which claims that children allegedly hinder a woman from taking a worthy place within the society.
3. Split between rich and poor countries. The sources of that split date back to many centuries of robbing of the Third World countries by Europe and North America. Sure it is clear that people are leaving their countries and heading for wealthy Europe in search for a better lot. But it is impossible to settle in a new place without any help from brothers and companions. Let’s say, an African Muslim always has more brothers than an African heathen does, for the family of the former is the Ummah (the Islamic Nation) consisting of many millions, and the latter one only has a little and often impoverished clan.
4. Conversion of 'native' European population to Islam. In comparatively small France the number of White Muslim Frenchmen is already 50,000, according to the most understated figures, which is still much larger than the number of Russian Muslims. And this figure is rapidly growing. Interestingly, Islam in France, just like in any other country in Europe, is first of all adopted by intellectual European elite: by professors, doctors, philosophers and political activists.
Actions by European Muslims
European Muslims are an active political force. In the spring and summer of 2001 Muslims of Indian descent from English industrial cities of Bradford, Leeds and Oldham actively declared their rights.
When during the 2002 parliamentary elections in France extreme right National Front started gaining relative popularity among the 'native' population, mass protests of French Muslims returned that organization on the wayside of political life.
European Muslims were the ones to promote the development of Europe’s independent position on the war in Iraq in 2003.
Latest large-scale actions of the European Muslims took place in the winter of 2003/2004. The actions were aimed against the absurd ban to wear hijabs (headscarves) at schools, which was imposed by French Education Ministry.
In this connection it must be mentioned that Holy Mother Mary, worshipped by the Catholics, was also wearing a headscarf, and the Christian Orthodox even celebrate the festival of Protection (Cloak) of the Virgin.
Tariq Ramadan, spiritual leader of European Muslims
Tariq Ramadan is considered the ideologist and the spiritual leader of European Muslims. His biography is somewhat unique and somewhat typical for the European Muslims. He was born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1962 in the family of an Egyptian immigrant, who had many children. On his mother’s side, Tariq is a grandson of famous Hasan Al-Banna, who back in 1928 founded the Society of the Muslim Brothers in British Egypt and who was killed by British mercenaries in 1949.
Some view the supporters of that organization as fundamentalists, and some do as reformists. But you cannot omit the fact that Muslim Brothers were the ones who paved the way for the Islamic Revival and influenced the Islamic Revolution in Iran (1979). Muslim Brothers were the first ones to declare that the European ideas of democracy and parliamentarianism (Arab Egyptian term 'Gumhuriya') do not contradict, but rather they even agree with the spirit of Islam.
French became Tariq’s first language and Tariq pursued secular education. For some time the future ideologist of Euro-Islam was studying philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche and teaching in lyceums. But there was a time when he returned to Egypt, to the land of his forefathers, and became the one who he is right now. Tariq is still an elegant intellectual, but at the same time he is an ardent Muslim. Since 1990s he has been preaching Islam is largest cities of the West, making TV appearances and writing books about Islam. Tariq maintains friendly relations with the founder of the anti-globalist movement, farmer Jose Bove, who leveled a McDonald’s restaurant to the ground with his tractor. Tariq also enjoys great authority among young European Muslims. Here are the most typical names of three out of his ten books that he wrote:
«The Muslims in a Secular Environment»
«Western Muslims and the Future of Islam»
«To be a European Muslim»
Ideology of Euro-Islam
The main point that Tariq Ramadan is making is the fact that European Muslims must not isolate themselves in their ghettos. European-born Muslims must pursue European education and take active part in the European social and political life to promote Islam.
There is no doubt that such openness may lead to mixing of cultures. On this matter Tariq Ramadan answers that a line of distinction must be drawn between historical ethnic culture and the eternal religion. «Arab culture is not culture of Islam», he says. Don’t be afraid of stopping being Arabs, be afraid of stopping being Muslims! «I am a European, but I am a Muslim», Tariq says.
Such train of thought is understandable. God showed one religion to the mankind: Islam. But He also separated the mankind into nations and tribes (Koran, Sura 49, verse 13). Being the unified community of Ibrahim (Abraham), which Allah is calling for, does not mean being a unified nation. Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the last prophet and renewer of the Faith: he was an Arab, and the Koran (the Quran) was sent down in Arabic. But Islam and the Arab culture are not identical. In a number of cases the spreading of Islam coincided with spreading of Arab culture: in Syria, Iraq and North Africa. But it was not the case in other countries: in Iran, Central Asia, the Caucasus, India or Malaysia.
Where is the end of a religion and the start of a nation? And is there actually such a borderline at all? Doesn’t the religion encompass the entire human entity? Nevertheless, there is such a borderline: it separates the eternal and unchangeable from the temporal and historical. Ignoring this borderline may provoke a bloody distemper among the brothers, like it happened in Karachi, Pakistan in 1992-1994, when the interests of Muslim settlers from India (Muhajirs) clashed with the interests of locals (Sindhs). The Taliban had a similar problem. Even though the Taliban easily united the Pashto, they still encountered Tajik nationalism. The laws of the society are no less important than the laws of nature.
A nation is a historical community, united with one common self-consciousness. All Muslims are brothers, but our community is metaphysical and timeless. Participants of any event are sensing the momentary but not historical commonality: they get together and they disperse with no consequences entailed.
Historical commonality is consolidated in having one language, since the language is the very environment of understanding. The first thing that comes to mind when comparing a German person with a French person is the languages that they speak. The linguists note that dialects turn into separate languages when the thread of mutual understanding breaks between the two nations.
However, people who speak the same language may belong to different nations: Americans and the British, Spaniards and Mexicans. Therefore the second thing that promotes unification is common territory: common Homeland. But if there is no understanding between the people in one country, then the nation breaks up: Ulster (Northern Ireland) and Bosnia being the most recent examples.
A nation is formed as a community when common culture is present: a symbolic language of national cuisine, national clothes, national character, as well as common domestic economic and political way of life. The Koran does not prohibit from speaking French at home or at work, from eating a grilled steak, from making cheese or from being a supporter of the Republic. Even when the time of the Caliphate comes, there are no instructions concerning self-government of its autonomous entities: some may become Islamic republics, and some may become emirates.
National ethnic culture is the backbone of the people: this is what lies in the area between the mandatory (Fard) and banned (Haram). Certainly, sometimes ethnic things can crawl into the area of the banned. Whatever crosses the boundaries is criminal and cannot be maintained.
French Muslims cannot be drinking Burgundy wine even if it is a part of their culture. Just like the British Muslims have to reject pork bacons, even though they certainly are not banned from eating porridge or drinking tea.
Muslim Monaco will have to give up the gambling business, and Muslim Russia will have to give up its obscenities and drunkenness.
Tariq Ramadan points out that a number of Arab instructions, which are traditionally associated with the Islamic norms, may not be successfully spread among the European Muslims. Tariq Ramadan even makes a pretty brave claim that moratorium can be introduced on some instructions from the Koran such as cutting thieves’ hands off, -- in order to make the spreading of the true Faith easier.
Is Euro-Islam liberal?
Thus, Euro-Islam (al-Islam al-Uribi) is the Shariah Law interpreted and applied to the conditions of modern Europe. The activities that Tariq Ramadan has been conducting are pretty noticeable, and this is why they have caused perplexities and aversions among the unbelievers as well as among some Muslims. Some unbelievers declared him as a reactionary, an anti-Semite and a sexist, i.e. a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Other unbelievers were praising him for his unique Protestantism, calling him the Muslim Martin Luther. It is obvious that praise among unbelievers is akin to condemnation in the eyes of the Muslims. Russian Muslims, like [pro-Moscow] Mufti Salman Haidarov for example, see one of the forms of 'Wahhabism' in Euro-Islam.
So who is Tariq Ramadan? Temptation to Islam or an apostle for Europe, who has to be speaking the language of unbelievers to reveal the truth to the ones chosen from among them?
Lets consider the main accusations against him in order.
A reactionary is one who tries to maintain what is out-of-date. Tariq Ramadan is the one trying to cleanse Islam of unrecorded traditions. From the Islamic standpoint he is not a reactionary, but he is rather a progressive person. But if Islam is actually implied as being out-of-date, then this is obvious unbelief, which has to be overcome with Jihad.
An anti-Semite: Tariq Ramadan often answers to this accusation by himself. He reminds that his background is Arab Egyptian, i.e. Semitic, for Arabs and Jews are cognate, both in their languages and in the origin.
A sexist: this claim that the Koran precepts allegedly violate the rights of women is like polytheism, since another source of law is recognized other than Allah, or the Koran is separated from Allah. At the same time, historical (not prescribed by the Koran) 'discrimination' of women may be abolished in a number of regions. Thus, Euro-Islam allows Islamic feminism in the spirit of women’s struggle for their rights within the Shariah Law.
A protestant: such a praise/accusation is giving a hint that Euro-Islam may split the Ummah (the Islamic Nation) into liberals and conservatives. But it should be reminded that there is no ground for Protestantism in Islam. First, there is even no analogy to the Catholic Church with the authority of one Pope at the top. Ummah rather reminds of a confederation of 'protestant churches', where the imam (the pastor) is not appointed from above, but is elected by the community. Creation of a new community (unless it restrains from what was prescribed or encourages what was banned) does not weaken the Ummah, but on the contrary, it makes the Ummah even stronger. Second, religious novelties (Bid’a), similar to Christian church ordinances (concerning which all discords between Catholics and Protestants broke out), are prohibited in Islam.
A Wahhabite (Russian version of an 'Islamic extremist'): simplifications or, vise versa, introducing stricter rules by the Shariah Law, are not considered as deviations from the norms of Islam. Simplifications or stricter rules may exist within the range of correct interpretation. «But whoever is driven to necessity, not desiring nor exceeding the limit, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful». (Koran, Sura 16, verse 115).
In order to answer the question about 'Wahhabists', one must ask if Muslims are 'Wahhabists'.
«The believers are but brethren». (Sura 49, 10).
But maybe Euro-Islam is the Islam of hypocrites? Unlikely. The Koran defines hypocrites as the ones who «enjoin evil and forbid good» (Sura 9, verse 67). The only thing that falls under this definition is moratorium on cutting thieves’ hands off. Neglecting this precept in a country with traditional Islamic culture would have been a sign of evident hypocrisy. But for France, whose people are only at the start of the Straight Way, the moratorium does not look like a violation. This is where a little thing gets sacrificed for the big cause, i.e. to Jihad – to spreading the new Faith.
Only in some of its manifestations Jihad is a war. According to the founder of military science Klausewitz, inconsistency is the greatest sin that a commander can commit: hasty offensive as well as cowardly defensive. In the final analysis, it is not cutting thieves’ hands off, but monotheism is what the principle of Islam is.
No doubt, Euro-Islam promotes strengthening of Faith among ethnic Muslims and spreading of Islam among the 'native' population of Western Europe. It is symbolic that the central figure of Islam has the same name that the Muslim commander who first set foot on European soil had. This name is Tariq, which means 'The Way'.
Sigh. It should be Jebel Tariq, of course. Rather makes one suspect the remainder of the article.
Could there be a weaker reply to accusations of antisemitism?
"Our languages and cultures share a common origin, therefore I can't hate them."
Pretty lame if you ask me.
Makes sense.
The only factor in the growth of Islam in Europe is the ideology of multiculturalism which, when stripped down to its essentials, is nothing more than genocidal racism against whites. Talking about birth rates and such is just a method of blaming the victims and excusing the guilty by pretending it's some sort of natural phenomenon rather than concrete policy and government action backed up by guns.
Right on. This started about thirty years ago. It did not help that the welafre state taxed away much of their wealth and that "Kindergeld" did not give back enough to allow the woman to stay home.
I doubt it. A wahhabist would at least know Arabic, and this guy doesn't. I suspect he's a multiculturalist trying to show off.
King of Visigoths Roderick was defeated and the territory of Spain was liberated by the year 718 CE.
No, in 711 AD, at the battle of Medina Sidonia, as any Spanish schoolboy knows.
Many literary critics (including L.J. Borges) believe that the most popular masterpiece of Spanish literature, Don Quixote by Cervantes, represents an artistic adaptation of Arab Spanish author Sid Ahmed Ben-Inhali.
First, it's Jorge Luis Borges. Secondly, its Cid Hamet Benengeli. And finally, the said Cid doesn't exist - he is the alleged "author" of the Quixote according to Cervantes' preface, which everybody considers to be a joke, because no other trace of this supposed "Arab" has ever been found.
And the most famous knight of the Spanish epos has the name Sid, which comes from Said ('Master').
No, it's "Cid", from Sidi, which means "chief".
«And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. Give them sustenance and yourselves too». (Sura 17, verse 31).
Sigh. This misquotation completely distorts the meaning. A more accurate rendering of Sura 17 Al Isra verse 31 reads: "And we shall give them sustenance and yourself too". It is a promise from God.
Tariq is a grandson of famous Hasan Al-Banna, who back in 1928 founded the Society of the Muslim Brothers in British Egypt and who was killed by British mercenaries in 1949.
He was killed by agents of the Egyptian government, in retaliation for the assassination of Prime Minister Mahmud Fahmi al-Nuqrashi, which had been perpetrated by a member of that same Muslim Brotherhood.
Muslim Brothers were the first ones to declare that the European ideas of democracy and parliamentarianism (Arab Egyptian term 'Gumhuriya') do not contradict...
The word is al-Jumhuriyya; it simply means "The Republic", and was used by Islamic states long before 1928.
Thus, Euro-Islam (al-Islam al-Uribi) ...
That should be al-Islam al-Urubi. But, more important, no Arab would use such a phrase. It is the fake Arabic coinage of a bunch of European pseudo-intellectuals.
It is symbolic that the central figure of Islam has the same name that the Muslim commander who first set foot on European soil had. This name is Tariq, which means 'The Way'
One who quotes (and misquotes) the Koran so promiscuously should surely be aware that At-Tariq is the name of Sura 86 of that book. And aware also that it is more commonly rendered "That which comes in the Night".
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