Raheem Kassam and European Muslims’ Reasonable Attitude Towards Immigration Problem

Recently, a British Pakistani, Raheem Kassam, was in the center of the media’s attention. Judging from his name and appearance, one of leaders of British Muslim community or someone who is friendly to it like, Sadiq Khan or Baronnes Warsi could be expected. As it turns out, Raheem Kassam is a rising star of not only British but of all western far right and Islamophobes, for which, The Guardian named him as the “new face of hard right.”

Perhaps, this might surprise some, but the reality is that this has becoming a tendency. For example, official leader of French National Front is a Lebanese, Jean-François Jalkh, and the leader of Czech far right is a Japanese, Tomio Okamura.

The fight against Shariah and Islamization in Europe has already been led by known activists of Muslim background like a Somalian, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Moroccan, Zineb El Rhazoui, and many, many others. In the near future, their ranks will be replenished, as many people are leaving Turkey, who were living on the roadside of life for many decades, and to whom is not suitable that back home, there is too much of Islam. I am not saying that they are the only people leaving Turkey, of course there are political emigrants with different motives and views, though, the obvious is that, the most emigrants from Turkey are the ideological secularists, those who hate Islam.

Today, almost in every European country, there is a movement or group of ex-Muslims. Part of them, are converts, who either did not manage to understand Islam, or could not withstand the pressure of culturally alien environment of non-Muslim community as well as Muslim community. But, mostly they are descendants of Muslim immigrants or the immigrants themselves. These people, are also actively attracted by their local far right, anti-Islamic movements, for whom, they are the example of how good Muslim immigrant should look like, by integrating to European culture and society.

However, not all ex-Muslims or their descendants can integrate well. As paradoxical it may seem, for some of them, their fanatic hatred toward Muslims does not allow to integrate. A terrorist, Ali David Sonboly, who caused a shooting in Munich, is an example of that, who was an Iranian and chose his victims by their presumable attachment to Islam.

By the way, Iranians and Shiites overall are contingent which by falling into Europe, loses its Islamic identity in big percentage. Thus, as it is known, the biggest amount of ex-Muslims who convert to Christianity, often to gain asylum, are them.

Exactly this, should spur European Muslims to think, are they really interested in lobbying on any immigration and accepting of any refugees to European countries? Do they always cause good growth for development of Islam in Europe? Some of the immigrants and their descendants are eventually becoming good Muslims and bringing benefits to Islam. Yet, it is impossible to overlook those who are leaving Islam and turning it into their enemy (including those who immigrated to Europe already being so), and those who are growing in schizophrenia because of conflict between their Islamic and cultural identity and their cultural environment, which life style they factually accepted, and those whom this conflict is only pushing for actions in the name of Islam and for its glory, yet bringing to it nothing but harm.

Recent report, from Pew Research Center, enchanted many Muslims, as it said, that by 2050, number of Muslims in Europe significantly will rise in any case, especially in the case of massive migration. Meanwhile, the number of those who left Islam was unnoticed, as it is 160,000 people more than who came to any religion or to atheism. Hereby, entire demographic potential of Islamic emigration to Europe, is the effect of first generation of immigrants who conserved the big coefficient birth-rate compared to local population. Though, in coming generations this rate will be decreasing and we will be receiving many of those, like Raheem Kassam, whose Islamic identity could not withstand with the alien cultural environment.

Of course, this is not a call to join anti-immigration or anti-refugee movements and campaigns. Calling against all immigrants and refugees, in its fundament, has the same vice as its antithesis, which is accepting any immigrant or refugee, whoever they are. Precisely, refusal without distinguishing or accepting groups in massive amounts instead of looking into concrete category of people or the situation.

After all, we need to understand that Muslims are a minority in Europe, whose responsibility and the policy on them, including the demographic policy, is not on their shoulders. This is a minority, that is dependent on majority and their authority, and has to look after, how to adjust to circumstances which majority creates. 

Primarily, Muslim community’s interest is to have more people, who brings benefit rather than bringing harm to it. The most strategically essential interest of perspective of Islam in Europe, is to have native inhabitants accept Islam. And, this is impossible if Islam will be associated with terrorism, banditry, raping and sexually harassing women, immigrants’ hatred toward whites, parasitism, unsanitary conditions, cultural alienation and aggression. If this will go on, the “good Muslims” will obviously be personalities like Raheem Kassam, and those whom we already mentioned.

Considering this situation, native European Muslims with the collaboration of responsible Muslim-immigrants and their descendants’ goal is that, they have to work out a new attitude towards immigration problem in Europe, in the core of which should lie the strategic interests of Islam and Muslim community, rather than imposed installations from outside.

Editorial

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