MichaelCD - The Blog.: Islam's Global Nature

There is a discussion on View From the Right, centring on the numbers of Muslims in Europe, and their ‘power’ being disproportionate to the actual numbers they possess. I am not sure about the numbers involved, and which census was used in compiling the figures. What is missing from the discussion is acceptance of the fact that the problem is that Muslims are a whole, not a disparate, isolated set of people. When there is Islamic pressure on governments and people, it is the entire Islamic world that is involved. The Denmark debacle was a case in point. And, the point has been reinforced this week, with a letter sent to an Italian MP.

In October Daniela Santanchè, Alleanza Nazionale Member of Parliament, appeared on an Italian television debate about the veil. Santanchè had previously written a book about women under Islam, and that was the rationale behind inviting her on to the debate. An Iman, Ali Abu Shwaima from the Segrate Mosque, was also present, and took exception to Santanchè’s hypothesis that the veil has no religious justification and is simply a cultural tool used to control Muslim women living in the West.

The Iman's response, calling Santanchè an infidel, was construed as a 'fatwah' being placed on Santanchè. And, as is the way that people who criticise Islam usually have to respond, Santanchè had to have police protection:

An Italian politician will be given police protection following comments she made about the Islamic veil on television.
The MP, Daniela Santanche, from the right wing National Alliance, said the veil was not required by the Koran.
She was labelled an infidel by an imam appearing on the same programme and there are now fears for her safety.
Daniela Santanche recently published a critical book on living conditions for Muslim women called Woman Denied.
She is known for her forthright comments.
'Ignorant talk'
On Friday she appeared on a chat show on Sky Italia for a heated debate which quickly spiralled out of control.
"A veil," she said, "is never a symbol of liberty and it is not required in religion".

"There is a law which forbids - for reason of terrorism - people to go around with masks on"
Daniela Santanche

"And in our country," she went on, "there is a law which forbids - for reason of terrorism - people to go around with masks on".
Her comments brought a furious response from the imam who appeared alongside her.
Ali Abu Shwaima, from a mosque near Milan, called her an infidel.
"I will not allow the ignorant to talk about Islam," he said. "The veil is an obligation required by God."
Ms Santanche has now been offered police protection for her own safety.

All had gone quiet with regards to this story until this week, when Santanchè’s office received an envelope originating from London. The envelope contained two pieces of paper, one written in Arabic, the other in English, and photos of Ayan Hirsi Ali and Theo Van Gogh. I’ll have a go at
translating the message, but I can’t promise that it’s entirely accurate with my level of Italian. But it seems to be saying ‘this is the hour of my liberation, now it’s yours, too. Clearly this is a serious threat to the life of Daniela Santanchè.

This cuts to the very heart of the debate about Muslims and Islam. Since October it has clearly been discussed in the Mosques of Europe, so much so that one 'true-believer' wants to teach the ‘infidel’ a lesson. And this fact should worry everyone who cares for the future of Europe; for, the more organised Islam is, and the more Mosques there are, the more the power of Islam in politics and against free-speech increases.

What the graphs do is make us think, errantly, of fifty million people scattered around Europe and disconnected from each other. In fact, we need to view the fifty million as one, powerful nation within Europe, and that their means of communication is through Mosques and Imans. And, in approving more of these, we are creating more problems for ourselves in the future.