Bernard Lewis On The Coming Muslim Takeover of Europe

According to Bernard Lewis, Europe has given up the fight and Islam is now in the process of taking over the continent--which cannot be good for the Jewish communities there.

The Muslims "seem to be about to take over Europe," Lewis said at a special briefing with the editorial staff of The Jerusalem Post. Asked what this meant for the continent's Jews, he responded, "The outlook for the Jewish communities of Europe is dim." Soon, he warned, the only pertinent question regarding Europe's future would be, "Will it be an Islamized Europe or Europeanized Islam?" The growing sway of Islam in Europe was of particular concern given the rising support within the Islamic world for extremist and terrorist movements, said Lewis.

What is particularly disheartening is that the causes--or symptoms--Lewis describes sound too familiar.

"Europeans are losing their own loyalties and their own self-confidence," he said. "They have no respect for their own culture." Europeans had "surrendered" on every issue with regard to Islam in a mood of "self-abasement," "political correctness" and "multi-culturalism," said Lewis, who was born in London to middle-class Jewish parents but has long lived in the United States.

Of course there is alot of this lack of self-loyalty and self-confidence going around, but reading this description of what is going on in Europe does not sound all that different from what we hear going on in Israel.

Removing Olmert from office will surely help, but it is not a magic cure. A change in attitude is necessary, and that is going to require a real leader.

Any suggestions?

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