Islam – new phobia of the West

PanARMENIAN.Net - Before collapse of the Soviet Union it was the Russians that were presented in bloodthirsty and dreadful colors. Suffice it to recall that the image of a Cossack with a sabre cutting heads had almost become the symbol of Hollywood for many decades. “Russians are coming. Russians are coming. They are already nearby. I saw a Russian soldier!” was an expression of the Cold War times, symbolizing the USSR military threat to NATO countries. It was used during the McCarthy era (“witch hunt”) in order to bias the public against communists and socialists, as well as for opposite purposes, i.e. for speaking ironically of McCarthyites, who were exaggerating the danger of communist threat.

On May 22, 1949 James Forrestal, the first (then ex-) U.S. Secretary of Defense, being in mental home, committed suicide by jumping out of the window. During his illness, according to popular account, he was delirious, repeating the words “The Russians are coming” (the version according to which he rushed out of the window, with this phrase on his lips is definitely fictional, since no one was present at the moment he committed suicide, and the body was found only hours later). At the same episode hints also the title of an American comedy from Norman Jewison, “The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!” (1966). Well, and the Russian in fur cap with ear flaps and a sledgehammer in his hand, running a spaceship from “Armageddon” caused nothing but laughter. Culmination of this hysteria was Ronald Reagan’s expression “Evil empire”. However, on this side of the ocean, too, there was no shortage of anti-American clichés.

But the Cold War ended and “Russians” came to be replaced by a new enemy - Islamic radicalism and fundamentalism - and it was very serious. Thus, instead of protecting the population against terrorists, Europe came up with nothing better than the principle of multiculturalism. It was obvious that this principle was originally doomed to failure, but for some reason the EU leaders believed that “everything will be fine”. The United States, too, chose this path, licensing numerous Islamic centers across the country, which later became places of advocating violence against Christians. They began to flirt with Muslims, and they are flirting even today, obviously not fully realizing what it might breed. Unfortunately, America did not learn a lesson from September 11.

This week there opened in Washington a conference of representatives of Islamic political parties from several Arab countries. On the sidelines of the forum, they will meet with officials from the United States. The conference “Islamists in power” was convened by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. In order to participate in it, there arrived in Washington representatives of Islamic parties from Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Tunisia and Libya. The conference comes amid growing popularity of Islamic parties in the Middle East and North Africa. According to White House spokesman Jay Carney, “Muslim Brotherhood will play a prominent role in Egypt’s political life going forward, and therefore we must establish contacts with them.” Carney also noted that U.S. Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham met with members of the Muslim Brotherhood when they visited Egypt in February. According to VOA News, at least one newspaper has referred to the Islamists' sideline meetings as a “charm offensive.”

But Europe has gone even further. At a time when France is arresting and exiling Islamist mullahs for the promotion of terrorism, a number of Danish schools introduce into the curriculum, starting from the 1st class, teaching of the basics of Islam. This occurs despite the fact that, as prescribed by the Ministry of Education, schoolchildren under the 6th grade are to study merely Christianity. Now, some elementary school students will not even have the opportunity to hear biblical stories at the lesson, and get any information about Christianity.

Education Minister of Denmark, Christine Antorini, a member of the Social-Democratic Party, does not mind that schools teach religions other than Christianity in the early classes, as long as they follow the required curriculum, which includes that children in primary school hear stories from the Bible and know Christianity basics.

But, thank God, not everyone in Denmark supports innovation. Morten Thomsen Højsgaard, general secretary of the Bible Society of Denmark, is skeptical about changing the curriculum of primary school. He emphasizes that schools must first and foremost ensure that students get to know about Christianity. “For us it is important to keep in mind that we are a normal Danish school. We are not a special school for Muslim children in Bispehaven (Muslim dominated area in Aarhus),” says Bispehaven School’s educational leader, Christian Wibe.

However, the “initiative” of the Danes can be infectious, and the Christian church may begin to lose us positions. But this is the worst prognosis. Generally let us hope for the best and let us believe that Denmark will still think before starting to educate a new generation of Islamic radicals.