The Netherlands to Abandon Multiculturalism
The Dutch government says it will abandon the long-standing model of multiculturalism that has encouraged Muslim immigrants to create a parallel society within the Netherlands.
Britain Creating Parallel Islamic Financial System
A British firm has launched a Sharia-compliant pension fund that will enable Muslims to save for retirement in compliance with Islamic principles, and the British government will begin offering Muslim workers Sharia-compliant pensions as of 2012.
Anti-Semitism on the Rise in Germany
A highly-anticipated new report that examines the increasing anti-Israel activism of politicians belonging to the German Left Party has sparked a debate over the rise of anti-Semitism disguised as anti-Zionism in post-modern Germany.
A Socialist Debacle in Spain, But Uncertainty Reigns
Spain’s governing Socialist party suffered heavier-than-expected losses in local and regional elections on May 22. The party now faces pressure to call early general elections amid fears that increased political uncertainty in Spain will exacerbate Europe’s debt crisis.
Spain’s Socialist Utopia Mugged by Reality
Throngs of Spanish youth have gathered in more than 50 cities across Spain to protest skyrocketing unemployment, cutbacks to social welfare benefits and rampant corruption among Spain’s political elite.
Europeans React to Death of Osama bin Laden
Leading newspapers and magazines in Europe have provided saturation coverage of the death of Osama bin Laden. Although initial media reaction in Europe was overwhelmingly supportive of the American commando operation, media outlets in many countries quickly regained their composure and anti-Americanism has now returned as their default position.
Muslim Immigration Transforms Finnish Politics
Finland’s political map has been redrawn in the aftermath of parliamentary elections on April 17, when the nationalist True Finns Party won more votes than the governing party and now stands on the cusp of political power.
France: Burqa Ban Goes Into Effect
France’s much-debated “burqa ban” entered into force on April 11. The new law, which prohibits the wearing of Islamic body-covering burqas and face-covering niqabs in all public spaces in France, comes amid rising frustration that the country’s estimated 6.5 million Muslims are not integrating into French society.
Why Are Pacifist Europeans Declaring War on Libya?
An unintended but highly illuminating irony of the military intervention in Libya is that it has exposed the duplicity behind European pacifism.
Free Speech on Trial in Austria
The trial of Austrian anti-Sharia activist Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff for “denigrating” Islam has major implications for free speech in Europe.
Spain Goes on Mosque-Building Spree
The city of Barcelona has agreed to build an official mega-mosque with a capacity for thousands of Muslim worshipers. The new structure would rival the massive Islamic Cultural Center in Madrid, currently the biggest mosque in Spain. The Barcelona mayor’s office says the objective is to increase the visibility of Muslims in Spain, as well […]
NATO Decides its Future
The leaders of the 28 member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meet in Lisbon, Portugal on November 19-20 to chart the future course of the transatlantic military alliance. The gathering in Lisbon is being billed as one of the most important summits in the history of the alliance.
