European intellectuals have the experience to know how to deal with phobias and scare tactics. They can simply analyze the historical background of the old continent in which they live in and its social fabric.

For example, they know only too well from history what a contagious illness anti-Semitism is and during which periods and among whom it appears. Likewise, they are well aware of what hatred toward foreigners is, how racism arises and where it becomes strengthened without becoming too apparent. However, today they are thinking about how to handle a new danger they haven’t previously known and are consequently unprepared for: Islamophobia.

In his 2004 book, which sold more than a million copies, Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci, who only knows how to write patriotic literature with prejudices and whose hair stands on end when Islam is mentioned, claims that the “European continent should no longer be called Europe, but Eurabia instead.” Then he added that in the past, Muslims sought physical occupation by means of war, but now they were going to occupy the European continent through culture. While not as provocative as Fallaci, famous American historian Bernard Lewis is also an inciter of Islamophobia. Pointing out that while the European birth rate is extremely low, the birth rate of Muslims in Europe is quite high. He said that if the situation continued, at the end of this century the European continent would become a part of Morocco. After that, Francis Fukuyama joined the parade. Implying that Europe had not confronted the “Islamic danger,” he wrote in a long article comparing Europe and America that he was optimistic about America, which had success in melting different cultures in one pot, but was pessimistic about Europe, which was not able to digest ethnic and religious groups. Not a single day passes without someone writing an article or book, some more cautious and some more provocative, about the “imminent Islamic danger” in the European press or the world press. The recent consecutive terrorist attempts are serving the interests of “brokers in fear and patriotism.” Generalizations made contribute to the rejection of Muslim societies in Europe, and their rejection pleases those who believe in the “clash of civilizations” hypothesis, thus benefiting only the production of two-way generalizations.

Today Europe’s total population is 500 million, with about 16 million Muslims. It cannot be said that there is a strength in numbers nor do broad masses approve of terrorist methods and radicalism. On the contrary, a significant number of Muslims in Europe don’t see any fundamental conflict between their religion and the country where they live. The conspirators caught at the last minute who said, “I’m only loyal to Islam, not England,” are in the minutest of the minority. The wishes of Muslims are not along these lines. At every opportunity they indicate that they don’t want to be discriminated against because of their religion, that they don’t want to be treated as “potential terrorists” and that they want to enjoy basic rights and freedoms just like any other European citizen. In addition, there is one point that the theoreticians and journalists, who produce Islamophobia refuse to see. It’s not possible to talk about a single and homogeneous “European Islam.” There are important cultural, historical and philosophical differences and variations between Turks and Pakistanis and between Moroccans and Bangladeshis. Forget about a special European characteristic, even in the British character there are many variations of belief, interpretation and lifestyle. On some subjects, Turks feel closer to Mediterranean immigrants from different religions. Or people from the Far East. When we look at the fabric of immigrant societies there are many criteria that cut through patterns and categories.

OK, in spite of all these variables, why and how is Islamophobia growing? Who benefits from this dialogue? Most importantly, how are European intellectuals and democratic elements going to deal with this danger that they are not familiar with and not prepared for?

08.30.2006