Europe's tolerance tested by Islam

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Outside View: Europe's tolerance tested by Islam by James Zumwalt Herndon, Va. (UPI) May 28, 2013 disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only In 1995, herpetologists began observing frogs in the U.S. with various mutations and genetic defects. Suspecting the cause was environmental rather than natural, they launched a decades' long study linking pesticides and other toxins to disturbing nature's balance. If so few herpetologist observers could identify such a dangerous trend evolving and isolate its cause, why then is it so difficult for social scientists to do so concerning human behavior within democracies that is disrupting stability's natural balance? A series of articles by author Soeren Kern underscores this trend in Europe. Switzerland is a land famous for not having had to fight a war for centuries. Generations of its citizens have proven adept getting along with all cultures. With no standing army, it opted instead to provide for its national defense with a people's militia. But recently, to enhance public safety, it armed transport police as robberies and assaults on Swiss trains have drastically increased -- the crime rate having doubled since early 2011. A society once secure in the warm glow of peaceful human co-existence now suffers from insecurity as 70 percent of voters say they want an increased police presence. In Sweden this May, riots broke out in Stockholm as hundreds of mostly young people torched vehicles, set fires and threw rocks at police. The unrest spread to 15 other parts of the city with police stations, schools and community centers set on fire. In London, youth gangs verbally harass passersby. Their main targets are women and gays. But more aggressive gangs warn non-members they intrude on the gang's turf at their own risk. Just like herpetologists isolated pollution as disrupting nature's balance for frogs, the cause for the above changes -- ongoing in Switzerland, Sweden, England and elsewhere -- is more obvious. A pollutant, again, is at fault -- one disrupting security's natural balance within these democracies. These countries, long embracing Christianity while welcoming other religions, opened up to Muslim immigrants who have used that openness against them. With Muslim immigrant populations radically growing in these countries, the "guest" is brazenly taking on the role of "host." In March, Swiss authorities acknowledged significantly increased recruitment of jihadists and of women being forced into marriage. Muslim gangs have been forcing disadvantaged children to convert to Islam and then sell drugs for them. Ironically, while indications are otherwise, a governmental study claims all is well. With 5 percent of the Swiss population now Muslim, it downplays Islam-related violence, putting responsibility upon natives to be more accepting, less labeled as Islamophobic. A Swiss Islamic group, publicly declaring its intentions to impose Shariah law on Switzerland, enthusiastically supported the study's results. Meanwhile, its critics dismiss the report as a "case study in political correctness." As the government soft-pedals Islam's impact, the natives are getting restless. A recent poll is most telling: 50 percent of those asked say they see Islam as a threat; 58 percent say it doesn't belong in the Western world; two-thirds say Islam conflicts with their values. Interestingly, the early 2011 date marking the start of increased criminal activity coincides with Switzerland having opened its doors to a massive influx of Muslim immigrants escaping the Arab Spring's violence. Meanwhile, Muslims say others are politically insensitive to their "suffering," making outrageous charges. They complained to Swiss Airlines about "offensive" advertising, simply for depicting a plane bearing the Swiss flag's red and white cross with the words "Cross is Trump" (as in the card game). Outraged Muslims alleged it a "Christian slogan used as a provocation and attack against Islam." As a Christian symbol, they say the cross "no longer corresponds to today's multicultural Switzerland." Yet they build mosques in Switzerland with defining domes and minarets symbolic of Islam. Islamic groups report their intention to establish their own parliament in Switzerland based on Shariah. This is an effort to get Shariah's "nose under the tent" so jurisdiction will grow, initially as a "parallel" system of law but eventually replacing Swiss law. With the most generous immigration laws in the world, Sweden attracts hundreds of thousands of Muslims -- now comprising 5 percent of its population as well. Offered free housing and welfare benefits, poorly educated immigrants unable to speak Swedish are hard-pressed to find work. While openly accepting such welfare, they criticize their hosts, seeking to impose their own non-productive culture upon them. Their hosts' reward for their generosity is the creation no-go zones where non-Muslims are unwelcome. In England, Muslim gangs ban non-Muslims from even walking by a mosque. If a block representing only 5 percent of Sweden's population aggressively seeks to impose its culture upon the host majority, one can only imagine what the future holds that minority grows. What has enabled democracies to survive after opening their doors to immigrants is a willingness to assimilate voluntarily. Because Islam prohibits assimilation, Islamists asserting incompatibility of their religion with democracy are absolutely right. Thus, the mission of Muslim immigrants becomes one of transitioning the host democratic state into an Islamic one. An Islamic leader, told Sweden historically is a Christian state, commented: "So it was perhaps before ... Now it is a new era." A similar claim in England met with the response: "This is not a Christian country. To hell with Christianity. Isa [Jesus] was a messenger of Allah ... Allah is great! We are coming!" Swedes, too, now sense Islam's threat "to destroy the West from within" is real. A radical imam in England warns: "This is a wake-up call for society to ask 'Where are we headed?' There is a clash between Islam and liberal democracy in hotspot areas of London." This cleric has led an effort to convert 12 British cities into independent Islamic states. His bravado is motivated by a Muslim population that has doubled and "white British" in London becoming a minority for the first time. Unbelievably, a British newspaper suggests those concerned about the increasing Muslim population are "Islamophobes." Muslim immigrants follow a modus operandi in imposing Islam upon a democratic state's majority -- witness the German government's recent attempt to hold a conference on German-Muslim relations to engage "moderate" Muslims to combat Islamism. The government's concern was Muslim violence becoming endemic in countries like Sweden and Switzerland. Substantive discussion on the matter was sought but attending Muslims became offended at the suggestion Islam could become radical. Instead, they pressed the government to make "Islam equal to Christianity" in Germany. At the same time Muslims avoided substantive discussions addressing Western concerns, they also suggested they only sought equality with Christianity. Readers of the Koran know it preaches Islam's superiority to all other religions -- thus, equality is a no-go. A rational non-Muslim call to discuss such concerns is denied by Muslims claiming Islamophobia. Islam has disrupted stability's natural balance within Europe's democracies. It is an intolerant toxin that leaves "freedom's canary in the mineshaft" gasping for air. (Lt. Col. James G. Zumwalt, a retired Marine infantry officer, served in the Vietnam war, the U.S. invasion of Panama and the first Gulf War. He is the author of "Bare Feet, Iron Will--Stories from the Other Side of Vietnam's Battlefields," "Living the Juche Lie: North Korea's Kim Dynasty" and "Doomsday: Iran--The Clock is Ticking." He frequently writes on foreign policy and defense issues.) (United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.)