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Rioting in France Enters Third Week

from the November 15, 2005 eNews issue
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Reports of widespread rioting in France seem less descriptive of a well-established, sovereign European nation, and more reminiscent of the lawlessness in Chechnya or Iraq. More than 7,000 vehicles were torched. Dozens of buses, schools, gymnasiums, nurseries, libraries, shops and businesses have been destroyed. Authorities estimate the damage to vehicles alone will cost insurance companies more than 235 million dollars. Police have already made more than 2,000 arrests in connection with the rioting, in which at least one person was killed and hundreds were injured.

France's failure to integrate its North African and Muslim minorities is seen as the key reason behind the rioting. The violence was sparked by the accidental deaths of two teenagers, who were electrocuted when they hid from police in a power substation. Authorities insist that the rioting is not an expression of Muslim religious extremism. Evidence indicates that the violence stems from feelings of alienation and frustration among France’s immigrant population. However, as one commentator pointed out, "it is dangerously foolish to ignore the rioters' Muslim identity altogether... In many corners of the world that are now hotspots of Muslim extremism, anger had its origins in economic or nationalist resentment. Poverty helped fuel the rage of Egypt's Muslim extremists. The Chechnyan war also began as a purely nationalist conflict..."

Islam is quickly becoming a significant part of the cultural and political landscape of Europe. There are between 9 and 15 million Muslims living throughout Europe today, and Islam has become the largest religious minority. Considering current population trends and the need for immigrant labor, it is likely that the number of Muslims in Europe will continue to grow exponentially. Bernard Lewis, a former history professor at Princeton and the respected author of more than a dozen books on the Middle East, is quoted as saying that "Europe will be Islamic by the end of the century."

The Muslim population in Europe has expanded so rapidly that it now appears Europe is experiencing growing pains. However the problem is not overcrowding, it is increased cultural tensions and the failure of orthodox Muslims to integrate into European society. Europe is struggling over how to deal with the integration of its Muslim population, a problem that it has ignored for too long. Government leaders appear unsure of how to fight anti-Semitism and terrorism without stripping Muslims of their cultural identities or religious freedoms. The face of Europe is indeed changing. European nations need to come to terms with this fact and begin to address the issue of Islamic integration, especially if the EU plans to consider Turkey as a possible member state. Should Turkey join the EU, it would bring with it over 70 million Muslims. Muslims would then constitute more than 20 percent of the population of Europe. The EU’s decision on whether or not to admit Turkey will be a key factor in shaping the future of Europe.

The EU may not become the Islamic Republic of Europe any time soon, but the excessive influx of Muslim immigrants and refugees into the EU is a serious issue. Opening the doors of Europe to Turkey and the Muslim world also means opening the door to radical Islamic fundamentalists. Some of these individuals have already made Europe their base of operations. You may remember, the terrorist cell authorities suspect planned the September 11 attacks was located in Hamburg, Germany. The rage, alienation, hopelessness, and frustration felt by thousands of young Muslim immigrants could be the means by which Muslim extremism gains a foothold in the heart of Europe.

Pray that the Gospel of Jesus Christ would transform hearts throughout the Muslim world. Keep in mind the words of Christ: "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest."