MOSCOW, January 12. /TASS/. The latest terrorist acts in France should be blamed on the French authorities themselves first and foremost, as well as on politicians in other European countries, because it is their limitless tolerance towards religious sects that in fact encourages Islamic terrorists, say polled Russian experts. They argue that the struggle against this ill must be conducted with great resolution and Russia must be used as an example in this sense.
Behind the terrorist attacks in France there is the lack of professionalism displayed by politicians, police and special services, as well as double standards towards terrorists, the president of the Middle East Institute, Yevgeny Satanovsky, has told TASS. Generally, his forecast is pessimistic. “That’s just the beginning for France and Europe. Thousands of Islamists from Europe have been through the civil war in Syria. Now they are pushing ahead with their plan for converting Europe into part of a future Chaliphate and they make no secret of this.”
The struggle with the radical Islamists should be conducted harshly, and very strict preventive measures taken. “There is a war on, and where a war is on any means would do,” Satanovsky said.
The bulk of the blame for what has happened rests upon the French leaders, who just pay lip service to the struggle against radical Islamists, but in reality do nothing to this end. Satanovsky mentioned the example of Russia, where the struggle against terrorists has been far more effective. “Hostages have stopped to be taken because at the legislative level it is prohibited to enter into negotiations with the terrorists and the sole structure of radical Islamists, the Imarat Kavkaz (Caucasus Emirate) has been kicked out of Russia’s territory.”
Multi-culturalism is good only when people from different countries confine themselves to wearing ethnic clothes and preferring ethnic cuisine, says Satanovsky. There are no obstructions in the way of a person of Arab descent eager to get adapted to the European realities. “But it is an entirely different matter, if you start dictating to the country where you have moved your own lifestyles that run counter to the one existing in modern Europe, if you monopolize the right to change society to your own tastes.”
The ideology of multi-culturalism is utterly unacceptable in the modern conditions, says the head of the Caucasus Studies Center at the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies, Artur Atayev. “In Europe in general and in France in particular the idea of human rights is in crisis and the jihadists do not hesitate to use that to their advantage,” he told TASS. “Jihadism in France is a multi-level one. Its ideologists are impeccable from the standpoint of compliance with the law. Now the net effect is visible to all.”
If this system of values remains unchanged, says Atayev, France and Europe will hardly be able to find a way out. “Neither France nor Europe in general will be able to handle this problem effectively enough without Russia. Only Russia has a unique experience of addressing the problem of terrorism in an individual region,” he said.
And senior research fellow Galina Khizriyeva, at the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies, sees the root cause of the latest terrorist attacks in France’s lax attitude towards religious sects and their members. “Not towards Muslims as such, but towards the sects,” Khizriyeva told TASS.
France has accumulated a large community of migrants who have been phasing out the indigenous French population from large cities. Tensions have been mounting for years, Khizriyeva explained. She is also surprised why “Europe has gone limitlessly tolerant to let in certain personalities who are known to have committed crimes outside France.” That trend started back in the 1960s, when an opposition to Western values began to grow. As a matter of fact, in France and other European countries there are two societies — the so-called free society and the one that has its own values and is prepared to die for their sake.
What is to be done? Revising the moral and cultural benchmarks looks the sole way out. “Limitless freedom and tolerance must be restricted somewhat, the way it was done in the United States, where a ban has been imposed on reprinting caricature images of the Prophet. As for sect members, they should be fought against as potential terrorists,” Khizriyeva said.
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