( 10 ) " Muslims in the West: Loyal Citizens or Fifth Column ? "

By Sodium

Graham Fuller, author of the book, " A world Without Islam, " has a fascinating talent through which he raises provocative questions and answers them in a persuasive manner.  This writing technique of his has attracted me profoundly to his book, since day one, as I came across it accidently and in an unexpected way. And the more I dig deeper in this particular book of his, the more fascinated I have become by the way he presents his exceptionally unique approach to the problems facing not only Muslims, but also Christians and Jews as well-in fact, facing humanity as an integrated whole. Through this sense of connection across the ethnic, religious and political dividing lines that makes the content of " A World Without Islam " such badly needed ideas to explore and apply in order to make our lives less violent and perhaps less agonizing.

Beside the question, Muslims in the West: Loyal Citizens or Fifth Column ? Graham Fuller has also asked, in the chapter for this topic, the following questions:

~  " Is there something different about Islam that puts Muslim immigrants (in the West ) into a special category from other immigrants ? "  Graham  Fuller has turned the question around and puts it as: " If they were not Muslim, would the problems and issues be fundamentally different ? "

His answer to the above question is : " The answer seems to be a qualified NO " which really means that it does not make a difference, whether they are Muslims or not, since we are dealing, here, with human conditions. Yes, indeed, human beings who are being entrapped in poverty, illiteracy, and high unemployment etc... in some of the countries of Western Europe. This is not so about the Muslim Americans who, according to Mike Wallace, the once famous anchorman of " 60 Minutes " TV program of CBS. are among the most educated, most successful groups in the United States. And Wallace has added on his " 60 Minutes " program that their income is above average. Therefore, one may be compelled to exclude the Muslim Americans from the miserable social policies the Muslims in Western Europe have to unjustly shoulder, because of the incompetence of European politicians who might have found it easy to pass the blame on their Muslim population because they are Muslims or Arabs. And the problems have nothing to do with religions or with ethnicity or with national origin, but have everything to do with Europe and its social problems and incompetent politicians.

In spite of the fact that the Muslim Americans are law-abiding citizens, they are discriminated against by some well known politicians, political activist groups and a spectrum of Islamophobes, ranging from American Right Wingers to Christian Zionists, in addition to the evangelical preachers of the Rod Parsley's and Franklin Graham's varieties. More about Preacher Rod Parsley and Preacher Franklin Graham will be written shortly below. 

Another question Graham Fuller raises in the chapter of this topic is, and I quote:

~  "  WHO ARE THE MUSLIMS OF EUROPE ? "

As usual, Graham Fuller answers his own question and says: " Muslims make up about 5 percent of the total EU population. France has the largest number of Muslims, about 4,5 million, followed by 3 million in Germany, 1.6 million in the UK and more than half a million each in Italy and the Netherlands. Under half a million each in Austria, Sweden, and Belgium. Of all this Muslim population, approximately half are foreign-born."

Many of the parents and grandparents of the Muslims in Europe migrated from their countries to Europe after the Second World War, when Europe was badly in need of labors. When Europe has faced serious unemployment problems and melt down economic conditions, it has become easy to point fingers at Muslims and Islam. It is human nature that has not changed yet, since Cain killed his own brother Abel, as recorded in the Old Testament of the Bible.

What has made the divide even greater is what ugly speeches being aired and televised as the ones quoted by Graham Fuller below:

" The situation is not improved by the presence of others in the West who see Islam and Christianity as locked up into an implacable struggle--the world image of the worldview of the al-Qa'ida zealots. Take Pastor Rod Parsley of the huge World Harvest Church of Columbus, Ohio, a spiritual advisor to the Republican presidential candidate John McCain in 2008. Parsley writes: "

"    I cannot tell you how important it is we understand the true nature of Islam, that we see it for what it really is....I do not believe our country can truly fulfill its divine purpose until we understand our historical conflict with Islam .I know that this statement sounds extremes, but I do not shrink from its implications. The fact is that America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed. and I believe September 11,2001, was a generational call to arms that we can no longer ignore.

     It was to defeat Islam, among other dreams, that Christopher Columbus sailed to the New World in 1492. Columbus dreamed of defeating the armies of Islam with the armies of Europe made mighty by the wealth of the New World. It was this dream that, in part, began America."

Graham Fuller has further quoted another evangelical preacher:

" Famous evangelist Franklin Graham told NBC news following the September 11, 2001 attacks: "  We are not attacking Islam but Islam has attacked us. The God of Islam is not the same God. He is not the son of God of the Christian or Judeo-Christian faith. It is a different God, and I believe it is a very evil and wicked religion."

The fanatical Muslims are not innocent either. They are just as horrible, in their beliefs, as Rod Parsley and Franklin Graham and perhaps more so. Graham Fuller has made the following quote: " Alarmists about Islam bolster their case by pointing to what are genuinely incendiary remarks by a small group of radical clerks, such as the sensationalist Syrian Sheik Omar Bakri Muhammad, once the darling of London Shock television:

"   Why should I condemn Osama bin Laden ?  I condemn Tony Blair, I condemn George Bush. I would never condemn Osama bin Laden or any Muslims....We do not make any distinction between civilians and non-civilians, innocents and non-innocents. Only between Muslims and unbelievers. And the life of an unbeliever has no value. it has no sanctity."

And then Graham Fuller has made the following quote:" Or the remark of Dyab Abu Jahiah, a Lebanese settled in Antwerp, who denounced the Western ideal of assimilation as " cultural rape," and aims to bring all the Muslims of Europe into a single independent community."

Since such wild antagonists exist in opposing sides, one wonders whether or not humanity can ever live in harmony and peace !

Answering the question stated in the title of this topic: Muslims in the West: Loyal Citizens or Fifth Colum ? has become less difficult, in views of the foregoing in which we have an educated, successful and prosperous American Muslim community and poverty-stricken, illiterate and unemployed European Muslim minorities scattered across Western Europe. The American Muslims must have been truly loyal citizens for achieving what they have achieved, meaning they have played by the rules. When you play by the rules in the United States, it really means that you are a law-abiding citizen; and since you abide by every aspect of the laws, you certainly cannot possibly be a fifth columnist by any stretch of imaginations, regardless how hard you may try. No way.

As to the Europe's Muslims who were described as poverty-stricken, illiterate and unemployed, how can such a case of misery be a fifth columnist is beyond my ability to comprehend. The fact he or she is illiterate neutralizes the question totally and completely. Those Muslims in Europe struggle in every day of their existence just to survive, let alone spying and acting as fifth columnists Again, no way..

Final words:
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While I was contemplating an answer to the question: Muslims in the West: Loyal Citizens or Fifth Column, I could not shy away from a similar question I have not known any American or Western authors or writers had ever raised about some powerful lobbyists running the U.S.Congress as they see fit, on behalf of foreign powers: Are those lobbyists loyal American citizens or fifth columnists ? I do ask.

 Let us play it in a fair way. Graham Fuller has raised an important question concerning the Muslim citizens in the West and he certainly has the full right to raise such a question. And through his own unique methodology of persuasion, he has, at least, attempted to convey to his readers that the answer to the question he has raised is NO, meaning they are not a fifth column. By the same token, I felt it was incumbent upon me to raise a similar question concerning the lobbyists who lobby our elected representatives and senators, on behalf of foreign powers.

Needless to remind all interested readers of the fact that elected Representatives and Senators, to the U.S. Congress, are elected by the American people to serve their interest, not the interest of foreign powers. Period.

END.

Next topic will be topic ( 11 ) Islam and India.