A Neglected Report from Europol

Kristoffer Larsson

The Islamic Threat to Europe: By the Numbers

Some things interest the media, others don't. Since the fall of the USSR, the United States has sought another menace to designate as the ultimate evil, a world threat the Americans desperately need to take on. The 9/11 attacks gave them that enemy. And when the White House speaks, the media listens obediently.

Over the last number of years the "Islamic threat" has become one of the favourite issues for media coverage. It's all over the news--Muslims leaders pronouncing threats against the countries participating in occupying Muslim land.

While America is the Western country most succumbed to the fear of Islamism, things aren't much better in Europe. Its media is highly Americanised and thus eager to reiterate U.S. governmental positions towards the non-Western world. Islamic terrorism is subsequently a theme close to the hearts of European journalists as well.

Following this, you might think the journalists would be beside themselves with joy when the European Police Office (Europol) releases its first report on terrorism in the EU. I can assure you they weren't. In fact, to my best knowledge, not a single Swedish paper or news-channel has paid any attention to it whatsoever. I haven't seen it receiving much attention in other EU countries either (kudos to the EUobserver for having the decency to report on it). The report is namely a grave disappointment for the anti-Islamic campaigners.

There were 498 incidents in eleven EU countries last year labelled as "terrorist attacks." The Basque separatist group ETA did best (136 terrorist attacks) and was responsible for the only deadly attack, killing two in Madrid. The remaining 497 fortunately cost no human lives.

How about the Islamic terrorists then? Considering the perpetual warnings in our daily papers, the findings in the Europol report is, to say the least, surprising. The truth is that Islamists only carried out one out of the 498 terrorist attacks in the European Union in 2006. Don't believe me? The entire report is available on Europol's website. Had Islamic fundamentalists been behind a higher number of attacks-say 136-it would have been front page news at every big daily. One attack is simply too few--it won't do if the image of an "Islamic threat" is to live on.
The Europol report devotes several pages to Islamist terrorism, despite the low number. Except for the one attack in Germany this group was responsible for (which, by the way, failed and resulted in no victims), also Denmark and the United Kingdom reported that Islamists plotted to carry out one attack in each country respectively (incidentally, all three countries are accessory to the illegal occupation of Iraq). However, since these plans in both cases were exposed before they were set to work, they were not included among the 498. Either way, even after taking these plots into account, the report proves the genuine magnitude of Islamic terrorism in Europe--it's not exactly a huge threat.

If we look at the people arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences, the figures are rather disproportionate; about half of them arrested were Muslim. In plain English: Muslims are a group causing very little terrorism in Europe, while at the same time much more likely to be arrested on suspicion of it. The constant media coverage of Muslims being arrested creates the false image of a serious threat in order to benefit the imperialist world-view Washington wants us to adopt. Meanwhile the Americans and their accomplices are carrying out genocide in Iraq. Clearly, something needs to be done about the media.

Kristoffer Larsson lives in Sweden. He can be reached at: kristoffer.larsson@sobernet.nu

Posted April 21, 2007, Counter Punch

http://www.counterpunch.org/larsson04212007.html

FOSIS Blog March/April '07

Admittedly this blog is a bit late and past the submission

I ask Allah SWT that this finds you all in good health and Iman,

It’s ISOC election season again. Moving on from ISOC can be quite an emotional experience; one feels as though they’re leaving their family to embark upon a far journey. What’s crucial is that the experiences and skills acquired from Islamic Society do not go to waste, and that they are developed and invested back in to the community through other voluntary schemes and projects. I invite all the brothers and sisters who’ve just left ISOC to seriously consider joining FOSIS to help us in our continuous endeavour to serve and represent Islamic Societies in the UK and Ireland.

The highlights of fosis in the late period, as far as I’m concerned, are:

Let the ISOC’s speak. This endeavour by ISC to proactively engage with Islamic Societies on the ground proved extremely valuable and successful. The brothers and sisters from ISC and Islamic Societies discussed key issues of concern, held fosis to account and offered invaluable ideas and suggestions that will help us determine our future priorities and direction. Most certainly you will find a more in depth review of the tour in Br Zahid’s blog (Head of ISC).

NUS Conference. I won’t dwell too much on the politics as the news must have reached all corners of the UK Student World Already. But what I do want to mention is the brotherhood/sisterhood experienced at the conference will be memorable. Many from around the country came together and worked as one solid team solely for the sake of Allah, despite not knowing each other beforehand. They’re experiences such as this which keep one driven to excel further in this field of work.

Imam Ziaullah Khan’s tour. This tour was concluded just this last Tuesday. Of course there’s always room to improve our work, but by the grace of Allah 2 people came in to the fold of Islam during the Imam’s tour. Adding to the 2 whom embraced Islam during our earlier tour with Idris Tawfiq 4 people (that we know about) have come to Islam in total, by Allah’s Grace and Mercy first and foremost, through the work of Muslim Students. We ask Allah SWT to reward Imam Zia, Br Bilal from the Midlands (tour coordinator), and everyone else who contributed to making this tour a success.

I’d like to keep this blog brief and concise and you’ll find greater detail in the others.

I ask Allah SWT to continue to reward the great brothers and sisters who are carrying the banner of da’wah in every Islamic Society, Islamic organisation or individual endeavour …

Wsalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah

Introduction ...

In the name of Allah we begin,

For long I've resisted the concept of migrating from the real world to join the cyber realms of facebook and blogspot. Many soldiers fell under pressure and drifted with the tides before my eyes until I surrendered to the old saying "if you can't beat them, join them".

Anyways, I've not got all that much time on my hands right now, but watch this space for daily updates on the life of Ali Alhadithi!

Yours,

Ali