United States of Europe Now

  

09.02.2015

One is almost embarrassed to even write the subject of this article, since the question is obviously purely rhetoric. The question can only be posed with a view to emphasizing with e clear „Yes, naturally“. 


Even so, two important facts can be mentioned:


  • 1. Islamic states like Bosnia, Albenia, Turkey already form part of Europe.
  • 2. Within EU member states and also in European countries not yet a part of the Union, there are large populations who profess the Islamic faith. In Germany alone there are roughly four million Moslems.


The only legitimate question that can be seriously posend - and indeed must be - is whether our essential European values are accepted and acted upon in daily life. The European Union represents theser values and to them every state which wishes bo be a member must subscribe to them. The same goes for every Muslim who is an EU citizen; he or she toll must recognize the equality of men and women and the right of minorities, such as homosexuals, to be given the full protection of the law. The Union also puts all religious beliefs on a plane of equality an protects the right of every citizen to embrace whatever faith he or she choses. Our states are at the same time secular and do not afford preference to any particular religion.


European culture, which has developed over hundreds of years, also has more roots nourished by the Islamic world than is generally known. We need only recall the time when a large part of Spain was under Islam. To that period we owe advances in irrigation and medicine, even indeed our knowledge of Aristotle, brought over to us in Arab translation. Returning crusaders and Turks residing in Western Europe concerned themselves with the transfer of additional Islamic scientific knowledge.


In sum Islam belongs to Europe, much as Christianity, Judaism, and other religions. But our task is to freely acknowlege and practice our common European values - freedom, equality and brotherhood. The values of The French revolution - the European, really - do not allow us to reverse course.