The European Union could play an effective role in the Middle East peace process (which has been going on for ….) if it does several things.

First – remember European values. Remember that it must seek reconciliation between the parties, yep (dughhh). Also remember that this must be carried out in the spirit of the interests, including security, of all and this spirit must be in the spirit of firmness, but never out to make enemies or issue threats. This is a basic flaw in the US foreign policy, it is totally brutal realism without humanity.

Second – always promote the two state solution. As stated above, both the Israelis and Palestinians have their interests and this centers around security. The capital of Jerusalem should be the capital of both, but this proposal is difficult and could be achieved without proactive statements.Keeping in mind other actors. However, we must remember that some of the sides’ leaders, like Netanyahu, will require more teeth. He also has European allies, like Germany and Italy, and sometimes Israel’s European allies might be acting in concert with US, especially US Congressmen. There may also be those that believe that the Palestinians are victims only – and that what ever they do to “struggle” is legitimate, including terrorism.There could be difficulties in the future, as we learn more about the HAMAS leader assassination and the possibility of criminal charges against Israel officials.  What is important is the the EU stick to its role as a normative power in the world – and respects and promotes international law and the legal process regardless what third actors, in the Quartet or elsewhere want.The EU should, and appears to be, forming its own policy that is independent of third actors on the world stage.The tour that HR Ashton is taking in the Middle East could help raise the EU’s international profile, which could raise its profile in other regions. This is what HR Ashton’s office should be working for in EU foreign policy. This is more important now under ToL than in the past. Ashton has shoes to fill after Javier Solana, who was said to have a “brain the size of the planet.”  Ashton must be seen as independent of London, as well as certain third countries that may also have separate interests, while at the same time placing higher status to the United Nations and international laws and institutions.See:  Ashton tells Israel settlements hurt peace plans

Eurabia follies and European dupes. The myth of “Eurabia” has caused considerable damage to the European political arena, mainly in individual European nations and countries. We now have a full -fledged Islamophobic government running things in Switzerland. We have the prospect of Geert Wilders as the next PM of the Netherlands. We have a number of MEPs that are rabid Islamophobes. The Swiss minaret ban has indirectly destroyed the good relations that were being established between Libya and European nations. The banning of the headscarf worn by Muslim women – even in in the street – along with criminalizing Islamic dress – are sweeping Europe. These awful developments in Islamophobic government policies are probably being poked on by a spat of books published largely in 2006 about the so-called “islamification of Europe” and, along with it, the notion of “Eurabia.” These books, written mostly on the Western side of the Atlantic, appear to be effective in frightening the begeevers out of Europeans.

In an article called What the Eurabia Authors Get Wrong About Islam in Europe, Justin VaÏsse describes how the Eurabia genre are written by Anglo-American conservative writers and rehash the old Cold War lingo that was used to describe communism or that Europeans as “in denial of their problems,” or course, the presence of Islam. Muslims have now replaced the Soviet communists as the enemies.

I have been saying for a few years that especially the American conservatives and neoconservative hybrids want to undermine and destroy the European Union. They are especially mad the most European countries rejected the invasion or Iraq and the notion of “war on terror.” In the course of the current research project on the “islamification of Europe” moral panic and the Euro-American right wing, we will see if the anger over Europe’s rejection of the Iraq War have anything to do with the attempts to get Europeans to abandon their human rights institution and conventions for the myth of “Muslim invasion.” Who is writing these books and why are they trying to re-infect Europeans with the murderous nationalism of the past? The Justin Vaisse article leads down this road of research inquiry:

In this sense, many of these books offer a variation on the conservative Cold War vision of Europe as vulnerable to the spread of communism — only now, Muslims have replaced Soviets and Euro-communists as the enemies. The continuity in clichés with the Europhobic literature of the 1970s and 1980s is striking: In both periods Europe is described with terms like appeasing, impotent, asexual, feminine, post-nationalistic, irreligious, apologetic, self-loathing, naive, decadent, and so forth.Despite their Europe-focused content, these books are a largely North American phenomenon. Bat Ye’or (or Gisèle Littman), an Egyptian-born British author, wrote one of the first of the genre in 2005 … which argued that political subservience to a Muslim agenda was turning Europe into an appendage of the Arab world. But most of her recent followers, including Caldwell, the jocular and hyperbolic Mark Steyn, the shallow Bruce Thornton, the more serious Walter Laqueur, and the high-pitched Claire Berlinski and Bruce Bawer, write from the other side of the Atlantic. 

The twin pillars of the Eurabia myth.First – demographics and making babies. This is the most dehumanizing portion, but studies by REAL scientists reveal the the most Muslims in Europe live in Russia. Most migrants to the UK come from Poland – and only about 500k per year come to Europe from Muslim countries.Second – “Muslims ain’t like us.” Here is the other form of dehumanization in that Muslims are also not European. “European” is incomparable with “Muslim.” A PEW study from 2006 indicated the European Muslims have the same economic concerns as most other people. A Gallop 2007 survey indicated that European Muslims have no problem with their faith and national identity.Both of the above are highly bigoted arguments that are designed to dehumanize European Muslims in the first place – and the ethics of this type of “social science” need to be brought into question.

The Eurabia myth – are Europeans starting to wake up? In a recent post, this author pointed out how the German interior minister, Thomas de Maiziere, questioned the banning of Islamic headscarves for teachers and the other ramifications of such a ban. While Europeans appear to be dupes for the Eurabia scare books – at least the Council of Europe is now coming to its senses. The Eurabia myth and the moral panic of “Muslim invasion” and Islamophobia that is manifesting itself in the attempts to suppress Islamic culture, mainly the headscarf, but – here is a hopeful sign of a wake-up! This wake up is coming from the Council of Europe and this is the absolute right place for this wake-up call! As Thomas Hammarberg correctly calls out the folly of oppressing Islamic headscarves to liberate oppressed women also said this:

Those who have argued for a general ban of the burqa and the niqab have not managed to show that these garments in any way undermine democracy, public safety, order or morals. The fact that a very small number of women wear such clothing has made proposals in such a direction even less convincing.The fact that the public discussion in a number of European countries has almost exclusively focused on what is perceived as Muslim dress has been unfortunate and created the impression of targeting one particular religion. Some of the arguments have been clearly Islamophobic and that has certainly not built bridges or encouraged dialogue.It is likely that more issues of this kind will surface in the coming years and, on the whole, it is only healthy that they should be discussed – as long as Islamophobic tendencies are avoided. However, attempts should be made to broaden the discourse to cover essential matters, including how to promote understanding of different religions, cultures and customs. Pluralism and multiculturalism are essential European values and should so remain. 

The Commissioner’s post also challenges the hypocritical arguments that have been made for the reasons for banning minarets and oppressing Muslims: Well – if we can’t build Christian churches in Saudi Arabia, let’s ban minuets here in Europe. If we can’t read the Bible in Saudi Arabia, let’s ban the Koran in Europe. These arguments, in human rights law, are not acceptable excuses – and it is, again, a hopeful sign that Europe is waking up to the destructive power of Eurabia moral panic and throwing out important freedoms. It is only a matter of time before the Swiss are told to remove the minaret ban from their constitution.

What may occur, hopefully, is that the Eurabia myth can be exposed and the course of this moral panic stopped before it does any more damage. However, we may have to yet experience yet more social, legal and moral damage to European society and order before the Eurabia moral panic runs its course. This includes the frightening prospect of a Prime Minister Wilders of the Netherlands and the damage that will do to both Dutch national identity and the country’s long-standing place as a human rights champion. However, voters often don’t care about the damage they do to their own countries, most especially in a climate of moral panic brought on by “Muslim invasion” books.We must work to expose the “Eurabia” myths, who the Eurabia myth-makers are and reclaim the European psyche.

Also see :Islam in the West – Johann Hari – Dissent Magazine – Winter 2007http://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/?article=752Amid all this panic, we must remember one simple fact: Muslims are not all the same – Johann Hari -http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-amid-all-this-panic-we-must-remember-one-simple-fact–muslims-are-not-all-the-same-412756.htmlStudy dispels myths on Muslim population – Olivia Ward http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/711744–study-dispels-myths-on-muslim-populationIn spite of numbers, Dutch Muslims are political non-entity – http://www.nrc.nl/international/article2476660.ece/In_spite_of_numbers,_Dutch_Muslims_are_political_non-entity