A few weeks ago, some European leaders met together in Brussels in order to discuss the fall-out caused by the disastrous collapse of the military adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan. Concern was expressed about the surprising (to them) rise of numbers entering the Deen of Islam in Europe. Another of their concerns was the awareness of a growing unity and coherence of voice among Muslims who insisted on an end to an ethos which seemed to license and encourage attacks on Islam. Catholic christianity’s dogmas had collapsed in an avalanche of financial claims against paedophile priests, the near-abolition of marriage alongside easy divorce, and the cruel doctrines around abortion and contraception. To distract from their troubles, the Pope decided to win favour with his banking creditors by an attack on Islam. At the Brussels meeting it was decided that a perfect and easy target both to humiliate the Muslims and to break their spirit was an attack on the so-called ‘Islamic veil’. This had the added advantage of boosting the fantasy that atheist women in Europe were ‘free’, were ‘modern’ and not oppressed.
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