Monday, March 5, 2007

Danish Riots

Here are my 30 second thoughts on the subject of the recent riots in Denmark.

Sparked by the eviction of squatters from an abandoned building in Copenhagen, the rioting has largely been carried out by "leftist youth" (muh?), as the building was used as a makeshift youth center and was a gathering place for anarchists, punk rockers, and left-wing groups. It was purchased by a Christian congregation 6 years ago, and was demolished today.

One wonders how the world would react if the rioting was carried out by Denmark's Islamic community? Imagine if the riots attracted Muslims from other nations, as it has attracted youths from neighbouring European countries and North America.

While I am not intending to serve as an apologist for Muslim extremism, I think this event has reinforced the idea that our civility is fragile - civilization is a thin veneer - and that our societies can become quickly unraveled from within as well as without. Has the post-9/11 environment allowed the West to demonize Islamism in an effort to distract itself from problems at home?

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