http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/21/world/europe/british-jihadis/index.html basically the article talks about how so many of the british citizens (400-500) of the sunni muslims have left to train and potentially be jihadists in the Middle East or even back in Britain. And in all of Europe the number is up around 3000, with no real boarders and everyones ability to freely pass back and forth this is potentially a real problem for all of Europe down the line. And this number is no small faction. In totally, the 500 in Britain account for about 1 in 800 Sunni Muslims being radicalized to the point of going into the Middle east to train as a Jihadist. 1 in 800 going that far means that there is most likely a pretty severe problem that runs through the Sunni population within Europe, even for those that don't pick up arms.
Well if there weren't already hate crimes committed against the middle eastern population in Europe, there's going to be a whole lot more now. =\
I was surprised by the high numbers. I figured there were a handful of western jihadists in the Middle East, maybe if I had to guess I would have thought a couple dozen, but 3000 is a pretty big group. I feel bad for all the Muslims who aren't radicalized cause you are right, their entire community will be looked at as militants waiting go happen. And all the non Sunni will be incorrectly lumped in with this group too. Sad situation from all angles.
The backlash is expected. Have any mosques been vandalized or destroyed in America yet? I remember the last conflict a mosque in Corvallis was burned down.
I'm looking forward to the first few beheadings of Jismhadists here in America. They want us to respect their religion? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Europe should seek to be more accepting of their Muslim minority. If we can't figure out why they hate the West, how can we ever give them what they want?
Europe freaks me out, there is still tons for antisemitism there than over here. They have a lot more history over there to establish the us vs them attitude, and I think any "them" be they Jewish, Muslim, lighter, darker, or anything different gets much more hate than we do over here. America overall tries real hard to celebrate the melting pot philosophy but in Europe when the economy tanks, everyone who is a "them" feels their community turn against them. Why are there so many Jihadists in Europe vs here? Some might be due to location and ease of movement within the EU, some blame needs to fall on Islam itself, but some of it I think comes from the exclusionary attitude in Europe, and the WE are better than THEM streak that runs so deep in Europe.
Antisemitism is so ridiculous... It runs rampant on the internet too, you can't watch a youtube video without someone saying "Fuck him! Funded by the Zionist Jew devils! Burn in hell!" or something along those lines.
I was reading the comments at the bottom of a cooking blog last week, written by some well respected chef from Texas, who happened to be black. About a quarter of the comments were totally racist, people saying they don't eat food that's been touched by a N. Sickening. And there were about 10 different people all saying stuff like that, not just some weird individual. And that was on a topic that had zilch to do with anything controversial. So they exist here, and in Europe, and especially on the Internet, but when I'm in Europe it's the only place I actually see it play out in front of me. In Hungary I saw 40 white people with pipes and chains attack a group of about 15 Gypsies. My mom got spit on (actually they missed) because someone thought she was Itialian when we lived in France (Jews and Itialians often look similar.). I've seen people at pubs with swastickas on in Prague. And I read tons of stories about how hate crimes, antisemitism, racial bigotry and other crap like that is on the rise.
Some of my liberal friends wonder why I own guns. It's mainly as a just-in-case precaution if a situation occurs in the future. If some holocaust occurs in the future (against Jews or any group) here in America, I will not be unable to protect myself, my family or my friends and neighbors. I'll let someone rob me blind without getting my guns, but I won't let them cart away my loved ones.
