With problems of extremism taking root in their own soil, western society is increasingly turning towards more right wing, anti-immigrant and borderline racist politics and policies, which had created radicalisation in immigrant populations in the first place. On Friday, David Cameron, PM of the United Kingdom, asked British-Muslim families to “do more” to stop youth in the country for becoming radicalised. The PM referred to a 17-year-old from northern England who blew himself up in Iraq and three sisters who abandoned their husbands and are believed to be in Syria with nine children.
European countries like Germany and France have serious problems with the integration of Muslims in the last thirty years and the public almost refuses to own non-white nationals as truly French and German. Because of colonial ties, France has a large population of Muslims from North Africa and an influx of 66,000 Muslim immigrants in 2010 alone (the United Kingdom nearly 64,000). Pew forecasts that by 2030, the total Muslim population in Europe will increase from approximately 18 million to nearly 30 million and Muslims will make up more than 10 percent of the total population in 10 countries, including France. In response European countries are looking for ways to force Muslims to assimilate or to discourage them from immigrating by adopting restrictions on ritual slaughter, circumcision, head coverings and the building of mosques. In other words, the have created the social conditions for isolation, mistrust and radicalisation.
As a consequence of demography, history, ideology, and policy, Western Europe is host to a disconsolate Muslim offspring who are citizens in name but not culturally or socially. Many are willing to integrate and try to climb Europe’s steep social ladder, but many cannot. When minorities are not integrated they either die out, or they revolt. Muslims are a global majority, and fading away under hostile conditions in Europe was never likely and sadly the first avenue of resistance was “Islamic Jihad” already on-going in the Middle East and South Asia.
What is happening to Islam is wrong, and all terrorism, killing and preaching of hate by those who support the terrorism of the Taliban, ISIS and Al Qaeda is rightly criticised by Cameron. Yet, if Muslim communities were better integrated into their European communities and did not have to face racism in increasing amounts in the past fifteen years, far less European “citizens” would be leaving their homes in Europe to fight wars alongside “foreigners” in Iraq and Syria. This is a failure of nationalism, national duty and cultural acceptance where French and British people find more in common with ISIS than their own country.
