By creating a situation where a citizen feels the need to protect and serve a society, due to what the society have given him or her, offer protection and grant different 'life-stocks' that enables him or her to not only survive but live to the fullest, a relation between a government and an individual are created of mutual protection and the wish to establish what might be of the best interest to both parts. This relation might even help a society fight extremism and radicalisation both amongst religious people, however, more so amongst its own people.
Because, let's face it. It is not only Muslim people who have become radicalised. The people, feeling like "these people are invading our country, taking our jobs, destroying our lives", have also become, to some degree radicalised. I believe, when you in the shelter of the anonymity the internet can give you, makes use of this in order to belittle the people that seems different from yourself, despite not knowing them personally, you have become radical in the choice of means to implement your view of the world in a given society.
Let's face it. It is not only because someone believes in Islam that such a person can become radical (which by the way is a very little amount of people actually choosing a radicalised worldview, compared to all the people who every day are harassing other human beings). It can also be you and I, despite religious affiliation.
Maybe it is time to break with the idea that only Muslims are destroying the world as we know it. We are to by the way we treat each other. By the way we refuse to help other people. Our choices makes us wander down the road either towards taking extreme measures or towards showing others that we care.
Viser opslag med etiketten extremism. Vis alle opslag
Viser opslag med etiketten extremism. Vis alle opslag
mandag den 18. juli 2016
fredag den 8. april 2016
The Effects of Government and Media Reaction
These days the Danish government is yet again making tightenings regarding radicalised young people. The reason why it is yet again a part of the media as well as the Governments awareness is due to a resent police response the Danish Security and Intelligence Service made where some young people were arrested and charged within the so-called Danish terror-paragraph.
It is rather common that radicalisation in a context such as this makes the media overflow with articles that hints fear and begins a sense of hostility among the Danish people. I must admit that the anger regarding the rather one-sided cover of the so-called "muslim radical" that makes it seem that all muslims are radical may overflow my judgement and make my arguments in this respect rather generalised. However, The governments ideas to tighten the law regarding these so-called Syrian-warriors. The medias eternal cover of radicalisation in more or less direct connection with Islam and muslims. It makes me so furious that it is the action of a few people that may have an affect of how the Danish people regard the rest of those Danes who confess to Islam and are actually well integrated and participate in the Danish society and pay their taxes.
On one hand, I understand that it is of the governments interest to show the Danish people that it takes action against possible terror-threats. In a time like these where Europe seem more of a terror-target than ever, it would on one hand seem too laid back if the government did not react. On the other hand, I find that the reaction has really gone overboard. The fact that the Danish Security and Intelligence Service actually manage to do the job they exists to do, makes me wonder why we need another government "over"-reaction. The part of our society that exists to deal with the terror-threats works. They have done a rather good job in the prevention of terror in Denmark - a thing that is rather difficult to prevent. The only reaction another government intervention will create is that the media attention will yet again make muslims the villains and it will create even more hostility among the Danish people that will make sure that the Danish people will to a lesser degree help the war-inflicted people who really do need our help by for instance demanding a complete closure of our borders towards people who have experienced trauma, war and terror in ways we will never be able to understand.
If the government instead let things work, the way they are ment to, I would respect the government if they react in a rather respectful way towards the system that have been created in Denmark. It would possibly create more peace and instead of letting the fear cloud the Danish peoples judgement, it might make room for more compassion.
Even though, many Danish people have worked against the Danish governments views of the refugees who have more than ever escaped to Europe, the fact that a refugee-hostile party as the Danish People Party who have gained more support than ever shows me that there is a great deal of fear and hostility that needs to be dealt with in Denmark.
We keep saying to each other that fear and a limitation of our everyday life is what terror wants to create. Even though we keep telling ourselves and each other that it is important to live life as we would usually do and not be affected by the terror. Maybe, terror is slowly creeping into our conscience and have slowly affected the way we think about the world and the way we react towards people who truly needs our help. Or the way we react towards the diversity that obviously exists in our society.
Showing compassion and helping other are indeed a more difficult road towards destroying terror and what it creates among the people affected by it. But I believe that the long and difficult road is the better road to take than fighting with the same means and tools as the "enemy" does. Have we, the rich part of the world forgotten that our previous actions hostile and mean actions may have had a role in creating the anger, hostility and the "us" and "them"-mentality that terror springs from? Maybe it is time to react differently than we usually have done since a war on terror obviously haven't worked?
It is rather common that radicalisation in a context such as this makes the media overflow with articles that hints fear and begins a sense of hostility among the Danish people. I must admit that the anger regarding the rather one-sided cover of the so-called "muslim radical" that makes it seem that all muslims are radical may overflow my judgement and make my arguments in this respect rather generalised. However, The governments ideas to tighten the law regarding these so-called Syrian-warriors. The medias eternal cover of radicalisation in more or less direct connection with Islam and muslims. It makes me so furious that it is the action of a few people that may have an affect of how the Danish people regard the rest of those Danes who confess to Islam and are actually well integrated and participate in the Danish society and pay their taxes.
On one hand, I understand that it is of the governments interest to show the Danish people that it takes action against possible terror-threats. In a time like these where Europe seem more of a terror-target than ever, it would on one hand seem too laid back if the government did not react. On the other hand, I find that the reaction has really gone overboard. The fact that the Danish Security and Intelligence Service actually manage to do the job they exists to do, makes me wonder why we need another government "over"-reaction. The part of our society that exists to deal with the terror-threats works. They have done a rather good job in the prevention of terror in Denmark - a thing that is rather difficult to prevent. The only reaction another government intervention will create is that the media attention will yet again make muslims the villains and it will create even more hostility among the Danish people that will make sure that the Danish people will to a lesser degree help the war-inflicted people who really do need our help by for instance demanding a complete closure of our borders towards people who have experienced trauma, war and terror in ways we will never be able to understand.
If the government instead let things work, the way they are ment to, I would respect the government if they react in a rather respectful way towards the system that have been created in Denmark. It would possibly create more peace and instead of letting the fear cloud the Danish peoples judgement, it might make room for more compassion.
Even though, many Danish people have worked against the Danish governments views of the refugees who have more than ever escaped to Europe, the fact that a refugee-hostile party as the Danish People Party who have gained more support than ever shows me that there is a great deal of fear and hostility that needs to be dealt with in Denmark.
We keep saying to each other that fear and a limitation of our everyday life is what terror wants to create. Even though we keep telling ourselves and each other that it is important to live life as we would usually do and not be affected by the terror. Maybe, terror is slowly creeping into our conscience and have slowly affected the way we think about the world and the way we react towards people who truly needs our help. Or the way we react towards the diversity that obviously exists in our society.
Showing compassion and helping other are indeed a more difficult road towards destroying terror and what it creates among the people affected by it. But I believe that the long and difficult road is the better road to take than fighting with the same means and tools as the "enemy" does. Have we, the rich part of the world forgotten that our previous actions hostile and mean actions may have had a role in creating the anger, hostility and the "us" and "them"-mentality that terror springs from? Maybe it is time to react differently than we usually have done since a war on terror obviously haven't worked?
torsdag den 24. marts 2016
A 'Schizophrenic' Life
These days the problems concerning the refugees is a sour subject in Denmark. As a Dane I am at one hand more or less embarrassed by the way Denmark is perceived by the outside world. On the other hand I haven't lost faith in the Danes, as I can see how much of a difference the Danish people actually want to do.
A friend of mine told me about a local initiative where the children of the neighbourhood can come and get help with their homework. She told me that most of the children knew Danish better than their native tongue and thereby, complicating simple communication between the youngsters and their families. Integration seems to be going very well, you may think. But hold on for a moment and try to follow my train of thought.
Carolin Goerzig and Khaled Al-Hashimi touches a very interesting subject in relation to this in their book "Radicalisation in Western Europe: Integration, public discourse, and loss of identity among Muslim communities". In the description of a workshop in the book one subject the book analysis is radicalisation and religion. The respondents of the workshop is seen creating an in- and out-group according to their religious background vs the religious background of the country they live in. A out-group, with all the people with opinions consistent with theirs and an in-group with people they can rely on having the same opinion as themselves. Thereby, an in-group and out-group situation is created concerning the fact that the exterior reality is not consistent with their interior reality - a reality consistent with the cultural and religious worldview in the family of the immigrants versus the outside world with its many different world-views. The framework of Goerzig and Al-Hashimi is the society the immigrants live in versus the family-life the immigrants have. However, what if both the exterior as well as the interior reality is causing young immigrants to distance themselves? A feeling of being marginalised from both the society one lives within and also from ones family? If someone had a feeling of being different within the outer reality as well as what was supposed to be ones inner reality, a reasonable conclusion could be that one would search for a reality or peers within which or with whom one can feel average and like-minded.
For instance, if a young girl or guy with another ethnical origin than the country he or she lives in. If he or she because of his or hers ethnical origin is labelled by the society as different however is still labelled as different at home because he or she is not capable of communicating fully with his or hers parents because he or she does not fully speak their original language, would that not cause a situation where a young girl or guy would search for like-minded, a substitute family, and therefore, could be exposed to different types of harmless as well as less harmless groups, where they might be exposed to an extremist worldview that might have a great affect on them.
In Denmark it is almost considered a success if the young women and guys is capable of getting around and communicate in flawless Danish. In fact, in a new special allowance called "integration allowance" an extra amount of money (called "dansktillæg"), 1500 kr, is given to those who pass a danish test in a wish to strengthen the danish skills among the immigrants. However, are we forgetting that this may have a marginalised effect on youngsters who cannot have the same support at home, because they simply cannot communicate with their parents? If my inference is somewhat true, such a small thing as language skills could be one more thing in the range of things that could be of great importance regarding whether or not young women and guys is exposed to extremist ideas and actions. Are we in Denmark so focused on immigrants getting so integrated that it is an assimilation and therefore, makes immigrants alienated from their own families? Families who are supposed to offer guidance and support in a time in the young women and guys lifes that has a lot of mixed feelings that can be confusing and weird. Are we stealing away their safety-net and security with the attempt of integrating these people to our standards instead of considering to implement their ideas and worldviews as well?
A friend of mine told me about a local initiative where the children of the neighbourhood can come and get help with their homework. She told me that most of the children knew Danish better than their native tongue and thereby, complicating simple communication between the youngsters and their families. Integration seems to be going very well, you may think. But hold on for a moment and try to follow my train of thought.
Carolin Goerzig and Khaled Al-Hashimi touches a very interesting subject in relation to this in their book "Radicalisation in Western Europe: Integration, public discourse, and loss of identity among Muslim communities". In the description of a workshop in the book one subject the book analysis is radicalisation and religion. The respondents of the workshop is seen creating an in- and out-group according to their religious background vs the religious background of the country they live in. A out-group, with all the people with opinions consistent with theirs and an in-group with people they can rely on having the same opinion as themselves. Thereby, an in-group and out-group situation is created concerning the fact that the exterior reality is not consistent with their interior reality - a reality consistent with the cultural and religious worldview in the family of the immigrants versus the outside world with its many different world-views. The framework of Goerzig and Al-Hashimi is the society the immigrants live in versus the family-life the immigrants have. However, what if both the exterior as well as the interior reality is causing young immigrants to distance themselves? A feeling of being marginalised from both the society one lives within and also from ones family? If someone had a feeling of being different within the outer reality as well as what was supposed to be ones inner reality, a reasonable conclusion could be that one would search for a reality or peers within which or with whom one can feel average and like-minded.
For instance, if a young girl or guy with another ethnical origin than the country he or she lives in. If he or she because of his or hers ethnical origin is labelled by the society as different however is still labelled as different at home because he or she is not capable of communicating fully with his or hers parents because he or she does not fully speak their original language, would that not cause a situation where a young girl or guy would search for like-minded, a substitute family, and therefore, could be exposed to different types of harmless as well as less harmless groups, where they might be exposed to an extremist worldview that might have a great affect on them.
In Denmark it is almost considered a success if the young women and guys is capable of getting around and communicate in flawless Danish. In fact, in a new special allowance called "integration allowance" an extra amount of money (called "dansktillæg"), 1500 kr, is given to those who pass a danish test in a wish to strengthen the danish skills among the immigrants. However, are we forgetting that this may have a marginalised effect on youngsters who cannot have the same support at home, because they simply cannot communicate with their parents? If my inference is somewhat true, such a small thing as language skills could be one more thing in the range of things that could be of great importance regarding whether or not young women and guys is exposed to extremist ideas and actions. Are we in Denmark so focused on immigrants getting so integrated that it is an assimilation and therefore, makes immigrants alienated from their own families? Families who are supposed to offer guidance and support in a time in the young women and guys lifes that has a lot of mixed feelings that can be confusing and weird. Are we stealing away their safety-net and security with the attempt of integrating these people to our standards instead of considering to implement their ideas and worldviews as well?
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