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To strike at the roots of radicalism, Europe must look beyond the burqa

Brahma Chellaney calls on European leaders to go after the petrodollar-fuelled sources of Islamic extremism, as steps such as banning burqas can only create social division

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Muslim women in Islamic veils (clockwise from top left), the hijab, niqab, burqa and chador. Several state and local governments around Europe have banned various types of face-covering veils in public places. Photo: AFP

Europe is under pressure. Integrating asylum-seekers and other migrants poses a major challenge, complicated by a spike in crimes committed by new arrivals. Many European Muslims have become radicalised, with some heading to Iraq and Syria to fight under Islamic State, and others carrying out terror attacks at home. Add to that the incendiary nativist rhetoric of populist political leaders, and the dominant narrative in Europe is increasingly one of growing insecurity.

Many European countries are moving to strengthen internal security. But their approach is incomplete, at best. Germany and others have introduced measures including an increase in police personnel, accelerated deportation of migrants who have committed crimes, and the creation of new units to identify potential terrorists through their internet activities.

A beachgoer in traditional Islamic dress in Marseille, southern France, on August 4. The French resort of Cannes has banned full-body, head-covering swimsuits from its beaches, citing security concerns. Photo: AP
A beachgoer in traditional Islamic dress in Marseille, southern France, on August 4. The French resort of Cannes has banned full-body, head-covering swimsuits from its beaches, citing security concerns. Photo: AP
The pressure to reassure the public has driven Belgium, France, Bulgaria and the Netherlands, as well parts of Switzerland and Italy, to ban the burqa and face-covering veils in public places. Several French coastal cities have banned the burkini, the full-body swimsuit.

Even Germany has proposed a ban on face-covering veils in public places where identification is required. Such clothing, the logic goes, is not conducive to integration. But no internal security measures, much less clothing requirements, can guarantee Europe’s safety. Leaders must address the ideological roots of the security challenges they face.

Migrants from Syria and Iraq take selfies with German Chancellor Angela Merkel outside a refugee camp in Berlin, on September 10 last year. Germany has since toughened its stance on migrants amid concerns over crimes committed by new arrivals. Photo: Reuters
Migrants from Syria and Iraq take selfies with German Chancellor Angela Merkel outside a refugee camp in Berlin, on September 10 last year. Germany has since toughened its stance on migrants amid concerns over crimes committed by new arrivals. Photo: Reuters

Germany’s Merkel toughens tone on migrants as protesters gather against the mass assault on women on New Year’s Eve

The problem is not Islam, as many populists claim. Muslims have long been part of European society. Today, the threat results from radical Islamism – a fundamentalist vision of society reordered according to Sharia law. Beyond enduring suffering and violence, many refugees from Iraq and Syria have imbibed radical Islamist ideology and calls to jihad.

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