Whither Euro-Islam?

Strange times, indeed!

Watching Europe's turmoil over domestic Islamic unrest, and the backlash against it, is a political scientist's dream although it is a potential nightmare in development. Since the killing of Dutch filmmaker by a man identified as a radical Islamist a few weeks ago, tensions are rising among those who genuinely fear for the future of freedom in Europe and those who for philosophical reasons believe the problem is not enough "tolerance."

In Britain the Parliament is debating a proposed law that would target "incitement to religious hatred". Its advocates say it would not curtail free speech but others aren't so sure. The bill's author, David Blunkett, says:

... a new law targeting "incitement to religious hatred" will not curtail free speech. He said the measure "will not criminalise material just because it stirs up ridicule, prejudice, dislike, contempt or anger".

The plans have come under fire from comedian Rowan Atkinson who is worried that the powers will stop him telling jokes and satirising people's beliefs.

The Tories oppose the plan and the Lib Dems have "serious doubts" over it.

They should have doubts. This is the nose of the camel under the tent of Britain's civil society. Free speech and free press rights are already shaky enough in the UK without a new law that will provide incentive for jihadist-minded Islamists to cry "hate speech" at every opportunity. Blunkett's rationale is so much touchy-feely, new-age garbage that Brits ought to be barfing in disgust:

Mr Blunkett told MPs it was to protect people who "feel threatened ... and feel society is not embracing them".

He said: "We are trying to stop groups of people who are prepared verbally, in writing and through the internet, to incite others to hate because of someone's faith not because of the argument about their faith."

Earth to Blunkett: Society is not embracing some people because they do not wish to be embraced. You cannot buy peace, at home or abroad, by surrendering an individual's right to raise concerns and ask questions. Blunkett, like many others, does not wish to admit that such a thing as a dangerous religious divide exists. There are serious issues at stake; sweeping them under the rug by clamping a lid on religious speech will not change that. Finally:

He (Blunkett) added that it would not stop people from making jokes about religion.

Oh, if only there were some way of getting lawmakers to stop making a joke of the law.

Meanwhile, ABC worries about Islamophobia

The defenders of political correctness also get a boost from ABC News in a length article published today:

"There is definitely a rise in Islamophobia across Europe," said Liz Fekete, deputy director of the London-based Institute of Race Relations. "Muslims collectively are being blamed for the attacks on the World Trade Center, and there is a general punitive climate toward Muslims. This has manifested itself in a variety of ways. On the ground, there has been a rise in racial violence on Muslim targets across Europe. And the biggest problem is that the scale of the problem has not been acknowledged," Fekete said.

ABC quotes several "concerned" voices of the liberal left like this one, and then summarizes the situation thusly:

Since the end of World War II, Western Europe has been widely viewed as a bastion of internationalism, moderation and social progressiveness — a haven of affluent, eco-conscious citizens in stark contrast to the perceived unilateralism and parochialism of the United States.

But across Western Europe, immigrant and civil rights experts say a xenophobic, anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim wave appears to be gripping a region once famed for its tolerance.

Oh, yes. Europe the "bastion" of all that is progressive and good "in stark contrast" to the big bad USA, is experiencing a wave of xenophobic intolerance. Of course this is just awful and unwarranted, right? There surely wouldn't be a reason for this, would there?

Is it just possible that the people of Europe have awakened to the fact that decades of tolerant indifference to immigration from Islamic countries now threatens the culture they cherish and the future of the freedoms they have taken for granted? Are they not permitted to defend their culture from further erosion, or are Islamics the only ones with a right to carry on with the culture they carried with them from afar?

The ABC report is so blatantly biased against the defense of western cultural values in general, and the United States in particular, that it is hard to read without reverting to a bit of media hate speech.

If you have any doubts that the squishy minded among the media elites are working for the other side, observe:

Allegations of discrimination against Muslims are not exclusive to Europe. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the United States has come under heavy criticism for alleged civil rights infringements under the controversial Patriot Act. Rights groups have also recorded a dramatic increase in profiling complaints and backlash attacks against American Muslims. And like Europe, immigration is at the front line of the anti-Muslim assault in the United States, where thousands of illegal immigrants have been indefinitely detained without criminal charges and summarily deported without access to lawyers.

Exaggeration and numbers inflation. Who were those several million Arab-American citizens of the US who voted in the recent elections, and where were they voting from? Not prison cells, not concentration camps. ABC should be ashamed for such a mis-representation and such one-sided reporting.

At one point European countries are taken to task because few Islamic lawmakers have been elected.

Experts warn that the lack of political representation, coupled with a growing intolerance of Islamic culture, increases the risk of increasing extremism among Europe's young Muslim population.

What are they supposed to do, ignore election results and appoint a few Islamic hotheads to the various parliaments? Yeah, that oughta work ...

There is more but our patience is running thin. Read for yourself.