by Boaz Bismuth
Charles Martel (whose
surname means "hammer") is a hero in France, most famous for his victory
in the Battle of Tours in 732 C.E. Near the city of Poitiers, Martel's
forces blocked the invading Muslim army that was surging north from
Spain.
Some 1,400 years later,
the Muslim threat has returned to Europe. This time, however, the
threat is not coming from the other side of the border. Jihadist
fighters today have European passports, and are a Trojan horse hitting
Europe from the inside.
The terrorist attacks
in Toulouse and Brussels are examples of this new threat hanging like a
cloud over France and its neighbors. For the longest time, Europe buried
its head in the sand. Perhaps today it is waking up -- although it is
uncertain. Charles Martel, suffice it to say, is turning in his grave,
not in the least because for many of the new Europeans he is not
considered a hero at all.
There are many
similarities between Mehdi Nemmouche, who was arrested on Friday, and
Mohammed Merah, also of Algerian descent, who murdered three Jewish
children and a teacher in cold blood at the Ozar Hatorah school in
Toulouse in 2013. They both share a jihadist profile. Both left home to
fight in the name of jihad -- Merah in Afghanistan, Nemmouche in Syria.
They both returned to France and sought to continue their al-Qaida
manufactured jihad at home. They are a new and dangerous breed of
"returning citizens."
Upon their return to
France, Nemmouche and Merah found a new prey -- the Jewish community. It
is frightening to think that there are hundreds more who fit the same
profile in Europe today, walking around freely.
Without noticing,
during the era of European Union peace and brotherhood, and of massive
immigration and political correctness that changed the face of the
continent, Europeans now finds themselves on the front lines against the
jihadists living in their midst. And the Jews are positioned in the
forward outpost, the first to take fire. It is hard to say there were no
warning signs.
Who among Europe's
leaders today can promise that Brussels will be the last terrorist
attack against Jews? Just a reminder: Following the Toulouse attacks,
the number of anti-Semitic incidents in France tripled. Merah became a
hero to many Muslim youngsters. We can assume that Nemmouche will have
the same effect and inspire others to take similar action.
French President
Francois Hollande's comments on Sunday, vowing that the republic would
fight the French jihadists, are most welcome. Nemmouche's arrest is also
welcome, and will put an end to all the conspiracy theories out there.
We must also remind ourselves, again, that the majority of the large
Muslim community in Europe is not jihadist, and that many simply seek to
make an honorable living -- but we must also say loud and clear that
Merah and Nemmouche sprouted from this same community, and they are not
alone. The Muslim community in Europe must also join the fight against
jihadists.
The cases of Nemmouche
today and Merah yesterday need to set off the alarm bells for French
security agencies as well. How can these radicalized young men, who were
supposed to be under close surveillance, manage to fly under the radar
and perpetrate such murderous attacks? In France today there are some
770 young men like this who have returned to France from Syria and
another 250 who have returned to Belgium. Every one of these individuals
is a potential terrorist. Their numbers, by the way, are expected to
grow. There are an additional 2,700 young European men currently
fighting alongside the Syrian rebels against Bashar Assad. One day they
will return home, and they, too, will seek new prey. According to
figures provided by the International Center for the Study of
Radicalization and Political Violence, the number of Europeans who have
fought in Syria stands at around 13,000.
French and Belgian
authorities, currently cooperating with one another, will now try to
retrace Nemmouche's path. Some people will undoubtedly try appealing and
explaining that this was a case of a young man from a small northern
town, who was raised in difficult conditions, slipped into a life of
crime and tried finding meaning in life. Here, too, Europe must
re-examine its failed immigration policies, which have brought jihadist
terrorism to the continent and have also revitalized, in a major way,
the far-right political parties.
It is amazing to think
that in Belgium, where the most recent attack occurred, a political
party named "Islam," which calls on instituting Shariah law in the
country, operates freely and legally. It is difficult to believe that
only five people in Belgium's entire security apparatus, as was revealed
to me Sunday by a senior Belgian source, are responsible for the entire
issue of keeping tabs on jihadists returning from Syria. And to think
that in 2012 Belgium had already begun examining the potential threat
posed by these returning residents. The attack in Brussels could have
been prevented, had they taken the threat seriously.
The civil war in Syria has become
a ticking time bomb, and the West is apparently on its way to losing on
all fronts. Assad is still in power, and the rebels are continuing
their fight in Europe.
Boaz Bismuth
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=8603
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
No comments:
Post a Comment