In fear of ‘Eurabia’?

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By Mark LeVine

AlJazeera English

Thursday, December 03, 2009
11:23 Mecca time, 08:23 GMT

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The images were clearly intended to get out the vote, and judging by the 57 per cent “yes” vote to ban the construction of minarets in Switzerland on Sunday, they worked all too well.

They included the depiction of minarets piercing through the Swiss flag; minarets on top of the flag, with a menacing, niqab-wearing Muslim woman in the foreground.

One could be forgiven for imagining that the Muslims were at the gates of Vienna, or even Lucerne, threatening to overrun Christian Europe. And of course, for the proponents of the ban, that is precisely the situation Europe faces today.

For centuries, the peoples of Europe have defined their continental identity against the threat of Islam. So much so that it is hard to imagine a European identity that does not have Islam as its foil.

There are, of course, good historical reasons for this.

From the eighth century Europe was in fact surrounded by Muslims to the East and South, who ruled much of the Eastern continent for the next millennium.

Of course, except in the wildest dreams of jihadists, Europe will not be taken down by Muslim swords today. But for right-wing fear mongers, the contemporary Muslim threat is just as nefarious, only the weapon is different.

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The ultimate ‘other’

That Muslim woman in the now infamous poster is not just the ultimate ‘other’ – totally impenetrable to the Western gaze in a social space where topless women are de rigeur on billboards, magazines, TV commercials and the beach – but, the niqab or burka-wearing Muslim woman is believed to stand for all Muslim women, who, it is assumed, possess little or no control over their own bodies.

And because of this, she is as dangerous as the H1N1 virus currently scaring people across the continent. Underneath her niqab lies a human bomb – not a suicide vest, but a baby; lots of babies, if you believe the hype.

All these Muslims babies threaten to transform the fundamental identity of Europe as a “Western,” “modern,” “secular-yet-Christian” space – the very antithesis of what most Europeans imagine Muslims to be.

In some sense, of course, the return of a robust Muslim presence in Europe would be a return to history, to a time when a good share of Europe was Muslim. But that is a history few Europeans hearken to. In fact, Europe’s first post-Cold War conflict, in the Balkans, was driven in good measure by just this fear.

Beneath the fear, however, lies that undeniable reality that the combination in Europe of very low indigenous (meaning white and Christian) birth rates and increasing immigration of Muslims with higher birth rates means that the percentage of Muslims will continue to grow.

They will not, however, become a majority in Europe under any conceivable scenario in the coming decades.

In fact, the actual demographic trends show a decline in birth rates by Muslim women as they become settled into Europe, which corresponds to the declining birth rates across the Muslim world (many of whose governments have initiated aggressive family planning programmes).

Indeed, as Muslim women live in Europe, learn the languages, get educated and join the workforce, they become more “European” – or more accurately, like women globally, who, if they have the resources and freedom to control their reproduction, choose to have smaller families.

Of course, if they are marginalised and, along with their male counterparts, not given sufficient chance to become a functioning part of their new societies, this process will happen more slowly, if at all, creating a self-fulfilling cycle of recrimination and disintegration.

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From Europe to ‘Eurabia’?

Either way, it is clear that Europe is going to become more Muslim in the coming decades. The question is whether in the process it will become more Islamic – that is, publicly religious and impacted by Muslim religious symbols and practices – and which version of Islam will define the emerging European Islam.

Will it be a “Euro-Islam” that respects core liberal values of tolerance, openness and respect for the rule of law, or a “Ghetto Islam” that produces subcultures that are largely isolated and hostile to the European self-image (one which, it must be remembered, largely excludes Muslims in the first place)?

The fear mongers behind the rising tide of Islamophobia in Europe argue that the continent is on the way to becoming ”Eurabia” – that is, taken over by a Muslim tide and losing its core Europeanness in the process.

It is hard to know how many Europeans buy into this argument. But, while it is rarely a good idea to generalise, the majority would likely prefer Muslims to assimilate into their host societies, to shed the outward appearances of difference, and not integrate – a process that inevitably changes the host culture as well, as it takes on elements of the newer arrival and, inevitably, loses some of its traditions in the process.

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Picture-postcard Europe

It is not surprising that in Switzerland the focus would be on minarets.

More than most countries, Switzerland defines itself by its visual aesthetic. It is the picture postcard of Europe, with nothing out of place, the quintessential European destination.

Never mind that Swiss Muslims are among the least conservative in Europe and that the call to prayer is already banned in Switzerland; the presence of more minarets would call out to the Swiss, saying: “We are here and we’re not going anywhere. And we’re not just going to assimilate to your culture. We intend to keep core parts of ours as well.”

Thus the referendum slogans calling for a halt to the “Islamisation of Switzerland”. The minaret, as a highly visible sign of Islam’s presence, becomes a “spearhead” of that Islamisation, “the symbol of political-societal power claim of Islam” as the website of the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), the party behind the vote, describes it.

Never mind that most of the claims by the minaret ban’s backers about Islam and the demographic threat are inaccurate. Islam, in their view, cannot exist without asserting unique claims to social and ultimately political power, which is why it is an existential threat by its very presence.

Muslims cannot just be; they have to convert others, and the voice of the muezzin “proclaiming down from the minaret” is the most powerful manifestation of this. Or so the backers of the minaret ban imagine.

Even Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, Switzerland’s justice minister, admitted that the result “reflects fears among the population of Islamic fundamentalist tendencies,” as if one cannot be Islamic without being fundamentalist.

This is the underlying problem in the debate over minarets, hijabs, or yet more troubling, attempts by European Muslims to establish separate courts and laws aligned with their interpretation of sharia to cover personal status issues.

At best, it says Muslims are willing to integrate, not assimilate into European society.

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Comparisons to anti-Semitism

In the aftermath of Sunday’s vote, many commentators, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, are comparing Islamophobia in Europe today to the anti-Semitism that plagued the continent in the first half of the 20th century.

While understandable, such comparisons miss the fundamental difference between the position of Jews in Europe then and Muslims in Europe today.

Jews had lived in Europe for centuries and, despite anti-Jewish sentiments among huge swaths of Europe’s population, were very much a part of their societies’ cultures, economies, and increasingly politics.

Indeed, in Germany it was precisely the increasing full participation of Jews in so many parts of national life that made them such an existential threat.

They were Europe’s most intimate ‘other’, inside the very fabric of European identity and increasingly, impossible to tell from “real” Europeans.

As such they became a lethal virus that, in the Nazi logic, had to be eradicated to restore the purity of the race.

The situation for Muslims today is very different.

Muslims are still relatively new to most European societies; at most a couple of generations old. As one Fox news report put it after a riot in Muslim neighbourhoods of the Swedish town of Malmö, they are “outsiders who are already inside” European societies.

What is worrying is that as a new generation of European Muslims come of age and move deeper inside European culture, economies and politics, the fears and prejudices against them will surely grow, especially if, as in Germany of the 1930s, the economic situation continues to deteriorate.

Mass violence against Muslims comparable to that visited against Jews is unimaginable. But as Muslims become, welcomed or not, part of the European fabric, the prejudices against them could begin to take on some of the form of the anti-Semitism that plagued pre-war Europe.

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The larger picture

Yasir Qadhi’s Awe-Inspiring Lecture: How Do You Speak To Your Lord?

Assalamu’Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,

I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Eid with family, friends and loved ones.

I wanted to take the time to share this great video with you. I actually posted this sometime the last couple of weeks, in the midst of all of my Hajj posts. I had the privilege of watching it again today. SubhanAllah, this lecture struck a chord in me. It truly inspired me, reflected me, and changed my views of many things in many ways, Alhamdulillah. I would really strongly recommend you take sometime to listen to what Sh. Yasir Qadhi had to say. I guarantee you, that by the end of this lecture, you will have seen yourself in a different light. I hope you enjoy the clip below. JazakaAllahu khayran. Wassalaam.

Du’a is the heart of worship in its foundation.

Beeseching Allah, having a conversation with Allah.

It is a sign of a love with Allah.

If you truly love Allah, you will worship Allah.

If you truly love Allah, you will always be making Du’a to Allah;

asking him, beseeching him, begging Him, pleading Him.

This is your conversation with Allahu Subhanahu wa ta’ala.

Never ever give up hope of Allah’s mercy!

Do not be in distress.

Do not be pessimistic.

The believer is always optimistic.

-Yasir Qadhi

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Images of Eid ul Adha 1430/2009

A special thank you to Boston Globe’s The Big Picture for these images.

 

The Prophet Mohammed Mosque in the Saudi holy city of Medina on November 12, 2009. Islam's Prophet Mohammed is buried in Medina's landmark mosque, which is Islam's second holiest shrine after Mecca. (MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images)

Muslims pray during Eid al-Adha celebrations in Wuzhong, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China on November 27, 2009. (REUTERS/Stringer)

A Muslim pilgrim prays near where the Hiraa cave is located, at the top of Noor Mountain on the outskirts of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009. According to tradition, Islam's Prophet Mohammed received his first message to preach Islam while he was praying in the cave. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Muslim pilgrims pray on atop Noor Mountain in the holy city of Mecca before the start of the annual hajj pilgrimage, on November 23, 2009. (MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images)

The illuminated Grand Mosque is seen from the top of Noor Mountain where the Hiraa cave is located, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba inside the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca after morning prayers, before the start of this year's hajj pilgrimage November 24, 2009. (REUTERS/Caren Firouz)

Muslim pilgrims pray inside the Grand mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Muslim pilgrims pray outside Namira mosque in Arafat near Mecca ,Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009. (AP Photo/ Saudi Press Agency)

An Indian pilgrim lies in the cardiac care unit at the Nour hospital in the holy city of Mecca on November 24, 2009. The Saudi Kingdom provides free medical care to pilgrims who become ill during their pilgrimage. (REUTERS/Caren Firouz)

A young Muslim boy runs during Eid al-Adha celebration at a mosque in Klang, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Friday, Nov. 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin)

A mother adjusts her daughter's headscarf before a prayer on the occasion of Eid al-Adha at Jakarta's largest mosque, the Istiqlal on November 27, 2009 in Indonesia. (REUTERS/Supri)

Sacrificial sheep wait to be sold in an animal market set for the Muslim Feast of the Sacrifice in Amman, Jordan on Wednesday Nov. 25, 2009, ahead of Eid Al Adha holiday. (AP Photo/Mohammad Abu Ghosh)

The Emir of Kano, Nigera, Ado Bayero (center), surrounded by his traditional palace guards, rides on a horse after prayers to mark the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha in Kano, Nigeria on November 27, 2009. (REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic)

A man rides a motorbike with his children after prayers to mark the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha in Kano, Nigeria on November 27, 2009. (REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye)

A man is silhouetted along with his camels after they were brought to an animal market to be sold in Lahore, Pakistan on November 24, 2009, ahead of the Islamic Eid al-Adha celebrations. (REUTERS/Mohsin Raza)

A herd of sheep, colored for identification, stand for sale at a wholesale cattle market, ahead of Eid al-Adha festival in Amritsar, India, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims run for cover as heavy rain streams down a road in the holy city of Mecca on November 25, 2009. An estimated 2.5 million Muslims have converged on Mecca for the annual hajj pilgrimage, as workers toil round the clock to complete construction projects designed to avoid deadly stampedes. (MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images)

A Muslim man looks at the raising of the dome on the metallic roof structure of the Strasbourg Grand Mosque in Strasbourg, France on November 27, 2009. (FREDERICK FLORIN/AFP/Getty Images)

Indonesian women pray on the first day of the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha in Jakarta on November 27, 2009. (ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty Images)

Muslim pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat, southeast of the Saudi city of Mecca on November 26, 2009. (MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images)

A Palestinian pilgrim holds prayer beads against a fence as they wait to pass from Gaza through the Rafah border crossing to Egypt for the upcoming Eid al-Adha festival, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Eyad Baba)

Day of ‘Arafah – Hajj Reaches Spiritual Climax

Muslims take part in the spiritual climax of their Hajj pilgrimage, the Day of Arafat. CNN’s Isha Sesay reports.

 

Eid Mubarak!!!

TaqabAllahu Minaa wa Minkum

Behind the Scenes of the Hajj 2009 – From Makkah to Mina

CNN’s Isha Sesay is in Saudi Arabia and gives us a glimpse inside the Hajj pilgrimage.

 

WFP: CRISIS IN THE HORN OF AFRICA – Food Crisis + Financial Crisis

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Over 1 billion people in the world are chronically hungry. In fact today, more people die from hunger related causes than from AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

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FOR MORE: IMPACT

FOR MORE ON HOW YOU CAN HELP: VISIT A BILLION FOR A BILLION + WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME

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The food price crisis, dubbed a “silent tsunami” for the world’s poor, is far from over. A recent study revealed that food prices are higher than they were 12 months ago in 46 developing countries. In nine of the countries, food prices are the highest on record.

The current economic crisis, first felt in developed nations, is now impacting on developing nations too. People living in these regions have much less to cushion the blow of an economic downturn and hunger is on the increase.

The combination of high food prices and the economic downturn has the makings of a humanitarian.

In the Horn of Africa, where climate change is aggravating the situation, the effects of the two crises are especially harsh. And as the global economic and financial crises compound the food crisis, hunger and malnutrition are likely to increase further.

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At a glance

Over the next six months, WFP aims to feed 20 million people in the Horn of Africa region.

• In Somalia, WFP is feeding 3.3 million people – or half of the population —  through April 2010.
• In Kenya, 4.4 million vulnerable people need emergency food assistance until the next harvest.
• In Ethiopia, the number of people requiring emergency food relief has increased steadily this year, rising from just under 5 million in January to more than 6 million currently.
• In the Karamoja region of northern Uganda, WFP is reaching more than 1 million people, or 90 per cent of the population, with a monthly food ration.

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Erratic rains, conflict and stubbornly high food prices are exacerbating hunger across the countries of the Horn of Africa. WFP is aiming to feed some 20 million people in the coming months.

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Hunger Lingers In Horn Of Africa Despite Rains

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WFP – Published on 18 November 2009

ROME — Kenyans are suffering from the worst drought in almost a decade, with harvests failing for the fourth year running in many parts of the country. The number of Ethiopians requiring emergency food relief has increased by over one million this year alone. And Somalis are facing their worst humanitarian crisis in 18 years, with one in five children suffering from acute malnutrition and no sign of a let-up in the fighting.

While in some areas, seasonal rains have arrived, they do not necessarily bring immediate relief. It takes time for pasture to regenerate fully and many herders have already lost livestock. Moreover, it will be months before the harvest comes in.

Food prices high

Food prices in this region are still high, often stretching family budgets to breaking point.  In addition, the global economic slowdown means that many migrant workers have been unable to send the same amount of money back home.

Now cash for food assistance is running low. WFP depends entirely on voluntary contributions from governments and private donors, but this year we are facing a shortfall in our budget.

For our major operations in response to the drought and high food prices in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda and Djibouti, WFP requires just over US$1 billion to cover the next six months.

Multiple shocks

In recent decades, the Horn of Africa has been continuously in crisis, afflicted by natural disasters, wars, endemic poverty and malnutrition. The multiple shocks that have hit the Horn – one after the other –  have steadily eroded people’s coping capacity.

Many of those who once had assets such as livestock that could save them from poverty, have sold them – often for very little in return. The poorest are trapped in a downward spiral of destitution, in which malnutrition is a constant threat.

True Sign of Unity at The Hajj

 

Is the Hajj really a sign of unity among Muslims? CNN’s Isha Sesay reports.

Al Istighfaar Part I: The Prayer for Forgiveness and Repentance

 

Prophet Muhammad sallalaahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam said: “There is no day on which Allaah frees people from the Fire more so than on the day of ‘Arafah. He comes close to those (people standing on ‘Arafah), and then He revels before His Angels saying: ‘What are these people seeking?’” [Muslim; no. 1348]

Salat Ul-Tawbah (Prayer of Penitence)

The purpose of the prayer of penitence is to seek forgiveness for any sins committed. Its virtue is noted by the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings be upon him):

Allah forgives the man who commits a sin (then feels ashamed), purifies himself, offers a prayer and seek forgiveness [Abu Bakr in Abu Dawud, An-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, Al-Baihaqi, and At-Tirmidhi]

It is reported that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings be upon him) then quoted from Al-Qur’an, Surah Al-‘Imran, 3:135-136:

“]

And those who, having done something to be ashamed of, or wronged their own souls, earnestly bring Allah to mind, and ask for forgiveness for their sins,- and who can forgive sins except Allah.- and are never obstinate in persisting knowingly in (the wrong) they have done. --- Surah Al ‘Imran; 3:135

 

For such the reward is forgiveness from their Lord, and Gardens with rivers flowing underneath,- an eternal dwelling: How excellent a recompense for those who work (and strive)! --- Surah Al ‘Imran 3:136

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Salat ul-Tawbah can be prayed anytime during the day with the exception of the prohibited time of prayer which is after ‘Asr, before Maghrib. Salat ul-Tawbah is observed as follows:

1) Pray either two or four rak’at as you would normally.

2) There is no necessity for two or four extra rak’at. The optional or compulsory Salat can be utilised for this purpose as with Salat ul-Istikhara.

The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings be upon him) said:

Whoever makes Wudu’, and then stands and prays two rak’at or four rak’at, obligatory or non-obligatory (prayer), and perfects therein his ruku’ and sujjud and then asks for Allah’s forgiveness, he will be forgiven [Abu Ad-Darda in At-Tabarani]

Guide to the Hajj pilgrimmage

CNN’s Isha Sesay explains why millions of Muslims make a pilgrimage to the Hajj each year.