Английский язык для специальных и академических целей: Международные отношения и зарубежное регионоведение. Часть 1 - [90]

Natural disasters, weak economies, and abject poverty spurred another migration wave in the 1990s, this time by refugees primarily from North and sub-Saharan Africa, and the Indian subcontinent. As more arrived, Europeans permitted them to receive welfare benefits, even if they had never worked in the EU. This was especially true of those who claimed refugee status.

Because many immigrants did not know the language of their new countries, they began to congregate in specific neighborhoods with others from their home countries. This gave rise to the large immigrant neighborhoods now characteristic of European cities.

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This has caused numerous problems. Immigrant communities tend to be poorer, and have higher crime and unemployment statistics. They often cite harassment from law enforcement as the reason for their troubles with the law and non-acceptance by the indigenous population for the reason they have not integrated. This has created a generation of young people who do not identify with the European countries in which they were born.

"As morally indignant young Muslims turn away from what they view as decadent German culture, some are cultivating feelings of superiority,” a Der Spiegel article stated. "While their immigrant parents and grandparents tried to assimilate, at least on the surface, some young Muslims deliberately flaunt the fact that they are different by wearing strict Islamic clothing in public.” According to a survey by the newspaper, 71 percent of Muslims believe "sexual morals in Western society are totally degenerate” and 65.6 percent believe "Islam is the only true religion.” These ideas clash with the relaxed approach many Europeans take toward lifestyle choices, including the way they view religion.

Although the two cultures believe they possess completely different mindsets, they actually have more in common than they realize, according to Der Spiegel: "Ironically, many Muslims in Germany ‘tend to be lax when it comes to religion,' says Katajun Amirpur, a Berlin expert on Islamic studies. According to Amirpur, religion ‘doesn't play a very dominant role' in their daily life, and yet they would characterize themselves as devout Muslims — even if they ‘occasionally drink a glass of Arrak or Raki' [liquor] and ‘sometimes forget one prayer or another.' They are easily their Christian fellow citizens' equals when it comes to disobeying the commandments of their faith.”

Why then are they not able to co-exist?

Two Sides

Just as "multiculturalism” is generally a codeword for tensions between Europeans and immigrant Muslims, Europe is a codeword for Christendom. The continent's historical roots are steeped in traditional Christian culture, teachings, morals, values. Put simply, multicultural problems are a result of tensions between two religions: Christianity and Islam.

In a forum sponsored by Pew Research, Bernard Lewis, Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University, said the source of the Islam and Christendom conflict comes not from the two religions' differences but from their similarities.

"These two religions, and as far as I am aware, no others in the world, believe that their truths are not only universal but also exclusive,” Mr. Lewis said. "They believe that they are the fortunate recipients of God's final message to humanity, which it is their duty not to keep selfishly to them-selves.but to bring to the rest of mankind, removing whatever barriers there may be in the way."

Because both believe they hold the key to human salvation, Mr. Lewis said tensions between Christendom and Islam occur because each have “aspired to the same role" — bringing God's message to the whole world — “each seeing it as a divinely ordained mission."

How does this apply to today, a time in which many people call Europe a “post-Christian" continent? Even though Europe is not dominated by religion as it once was, centuries of Christianity's fingerprints are still found across the continent.

“In order to understand what is going on, one has to see the ongoing struggle within this larger perspective of the millennial struggle between the rival religions." Mr. Lewis said.

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The scars from the competing religions can be found most easily on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, which switched hands repeatedly during the Crusades. Muslims took the mount in AD 700 and built a wooden Al-Aqsa Mosque on the foundation of a Roman temple. Christian crusaders then violently seized the Holy Land and, in the early 12th century, reconstructed an earthquake-damaged Al-Aqsa Mosque as the Temple Solomonis and the Dome of the Rock, renamed the Temple Domini. Crusaders revamped both buildings, adding altars, icons, new mosaics, and Christian inscriptions — crosses replaced all crescent moons. Muslims recaptured the area in 1187, reclaiming the mount's two mosques. Islamic followers purged the Catholic icons and renovated the marble mosaics and inscriptions. These two mosques remain standing today.

During that time, Christian Europe clashed with the Islamic caliphate, constantly shifting control of the land. The caliphate, an Islamic empire established after Muhammad's death and ruled by a caliph, clashed with the Byzantine Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, and then Western European empires. It was not until 1924, when the creation of the Turkish Empire deposed the last caliph, that this religious rivalry faded from view.