
Originally Posted by
Usama2
If I can return to Maripat's original posts, I think this is significant topic worth examining.
I understand that many Muslim immigrants to Europe first arrived as people of colonies moving to their colonial imperial ruling land.
Thus, many Muslims from the subcontinent moved to England. And many Muslims from North Africa moved to France and its neighbor Belgium.
This first generation wave of migration was geared mostly towards working class migrants, though there were also elites who migrated. But largely, those who migrated to Europe during colonial era served as workers in the labor force.
Muslims in Europe settled into enclaves and retained many aspects of their culture, Deen, language, etc. This was largely a result of European cultures being based on nationalism and exclusivity. And that comes to a key point:
Europe is a highly divisive region/subcontinent with a long history of people led by elites who competed against each other for power and wealth. Peoples with their own cultures, each one thinking they are superior to their neighbor (Swedes against Finns and Norwegians and Danes, French against everyone, etc). Europe has always been highly confrontational and unwelcoming, such that minorities were forced out, persecuted, or migrated to escape ( as many migrated to America to escape Europe's highly rigid and unwelcoming way of life).
Islam served as unifying 'other' against whom European elites galvanized their power and wealth to destroy. Many Westerners continue to make Charles Martel and Charlemagne icons of Western civilization for their resistance to Muslim forces.
That's what the Crusades were- European Elites using their powers to impose their worldview by overtaking al Quds.
The Colonial invasions were similarly European Elites with a NEW idea about the world, an ideology designed to rival Islam, overtaking everyone.
European elites set upon the Muslim world and imposed their world view.
They perceived that they could divide the world up among each other which would allow
Today's Europe is the aftermath of these conflicts. European elites remain at the center of the issue of Islam.
Europe as a Union is weak today as a result of how the EU was formed. It does NOT recognize a singular unifying culture and identity. Instead, it retains multinational identities no matter how irrelevant these identities are for the people of these so called countries. Tiny Belgium, or Slovakia, or even Portugal, are all relatively insignficant in the scheme of the EU economy and the world order.
Why were these entities retained?
Some say it was part of America's plan to do so, to keep Europe a divided people. Others say it was a self defeating effort by European elites who wanted to retain the idea of their power over their people.
In any case, Muslims in Europe are NOT a powerful force. They do not have massive wealth, they do not have political or business power, they do not even own land/property. They are far less engaged in European societies. From my observations, many Muslims in Europe continue to send remittances to their homelands, or plan on their retirements in their homelands, perhaps sending remittances to build up family properties.
When I think of Europe, I think of European elites who for over 1000 years have waged war on Islam, and of the ayah which means:
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