Balking at violence: why the Balkans are calm
One aspect of the cartoon kerfuffle that is receiving more and more attention is the suspicion that the outcry, while certainly reflecting genuine feelings, may be steered. Both Iran and Syria — which are both in the middle of a showdown with the Security Council, over nuclear shenanigans in Iran’s case and over the Hariri investigation in Syria’s — have an obvious interest in trying to discredit any Western action as a crusade, and vilifying Denmark (which is a non-permanent member of the SC for 2005 and 2006) seems as good a course of action as any. The time lag between the publication of the stupid cartoons and this whole outpouring is rather interesting.
It’s perhaps also noteworthy that Europe’s oldest Muslim communities (not counting Turkey, parts of Russia, and parts of the Caucasus) seem rather unruffled by the whole affair, and I believe that’s due to the fact that these are open societies (unlike most in the Middle East) and that Muslims there are not part of a disaffected underclass (unlike in Western Europe) — even though considering three waves of “ethnic cleansing” directed at them in the last three decades, they would certainly have every reason to be bitter.
You can read a somewhat expanded version of this argument — slightly black and white but essentially true, I believe — over at TechCentralStation.
Technorati Tags: Islam, Muslim, Cartoons, Sarajevo, Balkania
I really appreciate your placing this article on your blog, for one thing, I’ve noticed the same sort of reaction among American Muslims, they aren’t out on the streets raising Hell over these obnoxious cartoons. I would contend that being Muslim in America is in some ways much more marginal than being Muslim in BiH, where there’s 500 years of tradition, but the same thing applies, living in an open society where over all one has no worse opportunities than one’s fellow citizens of other faiths.
I think too that the possibliity that Syrian, and Iranian political manipulations are much greater in the Arab world and in the Indian sub-Continent and the biggest Muslim nation of all Indonesia.
There’s the matter of what have the clerics been up to in the Balkans and in America as well, which is to urge people away from any sort of violent public demonstrations and towards reasonable dialog.
That is really important. Maybe the Balkans Muslims and the American Muslims are more realistic about living in the modern world, and have a more sensible idea of what is reasonable and what is unreasonable to expect out of people who do not share their beliefs.
The American community is mostly one of converts and immigrants, there are not a lot of two or three generation Muslim families. So they have a very different take on things I suspect than the various Muslim communities in the Balkans, still there are similar results.
Another thing, bad and horrible as ethnic cleansing is, these communities defended themselves in a very formidable way and that is a very different thing from the many daily slights and discriminations adding up over years and years of being Muslim in France, or England, or Germany.
Maybe psychologically the Balkans communities are really healthier.
Comment by Katja — February 21, 2006 @ 3:27 am