THE’Islamtogether with Christianity and Judaism, is part of the most known monotheistic religions in the world.
It is mainly widespread in the medium – Far East and Africa. In Europe, it is formerly present especially in the Balkan area, but nowadays Muslim believers live in all states of the Union following more or less recent migratory waves.
The sacred book to which this religion is inspired is the Koran, which is mainly based on the story of the life of the Prophet Muhammad and, despite the fact that various texts lend themselves to interpretations not univocal, as scholars of the subject also affirm (especially regarding themes such as violence, role of women in the family and society, sexuality, etc.), it is generally recognized that it spreads ideas of peace, brotherhood, solidarity and tolerance, of different creeds.
Most of the immigrant citizens of Muslim faith It easily integrates into the new territory of residence, while maintaining close habits related to their culture and practicing their religion in a devoted and assiduous way (e.g. prayers, fasts, etc.). They gather in mosques, where possible/permission, or in other places used for prayer purposes.
In different countries such as France and Northern Europe they are well integrated, while in other areas they are seen with suspicion and, often, they are victim of racism and discrimination.
Also in Italy there is a widespread fear towards foreigners/immigrants, especially Islamic, which pushes to label them as dangerous, violent, wandering, dirty and without values.
They even get their real presence in an exaggerated way: “They invaded us!”. Not distinguishing between different ethnic groups (Arabs, Moroccans, Negri said in a derogatory sense), it is as if you wanted to see a “single body”, immense and enemy.
These reasoning, based on stereotypes and prejudicesrefer to the innate and ancestral fear that the human being nourishes for the different, the other by himself (e.g. for the color of the skin, for the spoken language, etc.). Specifically, the bloody incursions of the Moors/Saracens to the western Europe of medieval memory (“Mom Li Turchi!”).
After the tragic facts of the beginning of January successes in Paris, such as the massacre of journalists of the satirical weekly “Charlie Hebdo” and the kidnapping in the Kosher supermarket, both by terrorists called Islamic extremists, the shock of the people was enormous and the climate of fear was global and deep.
Already following the events of 11 September 2001 in the USA the diffidence towards Muslims had increased much, but now also in Europe, and in Italy, there is a constant state of alert that involves not only the government, the armed forces and the bodies responsible for the defense of the country, but also the vast majority of common citizens, arriving in real real expressions of hatred towards immigrants, considered guilty and now all united as “Muslims = terrorists”.
When you are afraid you cannot think/judge in a rational way, we are more led to make us influence by the opinion of the mass and all this only increases the confusion of this moment.
In reality, to say that all individuals of Muslim religion they are (potential) terrorists are a very trivial generalization, for obvious reasons. Islam, however controversial, does not openly preach violence, nor encourages to the notorious “holy war” against the so -called infidels, as often threatened by fanatics or feared in the West by certain political factions.
Islam leaves full freedom to the individual to do everything possible, in his heart, to put into practice the will of God, so it may happen that a faithful too “convinced” exaggerates and replaces the law of God.
Certainly there can be seven, the restricted groups of faithful with a very rigid vision, which deviate from the official doctrine, which still happens also in other religious currents (e.g. the mennonites within Judaism, which refer to ancient and bloody precepts).
These subjects, who meet in the community or real organizations (e.g. L ‘ISIS), more than strictly interpreting religious scriptures and acting accordingly in daily life, follow the rules/rules of a socio-cultural order that have been in force in their territory of origin and have been handed down for centuries, perhaps accompanied by a certain arrears.
The groups that define themselves “ISIS fighters“They declare themselves against the western world, proclaiming the aim of conquering it and subjecting it under a great caliphate. This thing arouses the terror of us Europeans, also because to implement their goal, terrorist acts of extreme violence seem necessary.
Do not forget that these fundamentalists do not oppose only western religion and culture (e.g. Christians or Jews), but also to Islamic religious minorities present in their areas, with which they lived side by side for centuries.
Therefore, to a slightly more careful analysis of the situation it is spontaneous to feed doubts about the complete truthfulness of this hypothesis and not to think that behind the apparent and more blurred religious aspect there may be more hidden economic-political purposes, geostrategic or at least civilians, and that certain ideas are exploited for the use and consumption of western countries.
As for Italy specifically, in recent weeks the alarm for the risk of terrorist actsinvolving all levels of society, from simple afraid citizens, politicians, to law enforcement, etc.
Of course, there are discordant opinions between the parties called into question, also with regard to possible methods to stem the problem. However, the political exponents of different belonging try to ingratiate themselves with the population by leveraging the feelings and emotions of the moment, exploiting them to their benefit.
The main press bodies inform that we are in the sights of the Islamic fundamentalistsas well as all other European states, providing movies and images that would confirm these intentions. The biggest fear, currently, concerns the Italians converted to Islam which, adequately indoctrinated, have embraced the ideal of the jihad, trained in the Middle East, and can now return to sow terror here.
It must be said that they are a truly small number, at least according to the latest checks, but this does not seem to reassure, given that in our mind they embody the idea of the invisible enemy, which camouflages itself between us, and therefore much more dangerous.
Certainly all this is not a question to be underestimated, also considered French events, but there is the risk of triggering a real “collective psychosis“, Which does not benefit anyone.
Living constantly in a alert increases unfounded and indiscriminate attitudes of intolerance towards generalized categories of subjects. The usual “witches hunt” that loses sight of the central nucleus of the topic.
