Militants in Europe Openly Call for Jihad and the Rule of Islam

As the situation in Iraq worsens, radical Muslims in Europe are stepping up their recruitment efforts. In the streets of countries such as England, France and Germany, more and more young Muslim Europeans are gathering to hear radical clerics' preaching on violence and martyrdom in the service of Islam. Ironically, it is often exactly the characters of the western societies that these clerics preach against – freedom, civil liberty, and rule of secular law – that have made antiterrorist work more difficult. Extremists are also using the religious freedom of their host countries to expand their sphere of influence among the young generations. While mainstream Muslims in these countries are often outraged by these recruiters, who issue appeals for suicide bombers, they can do nothing but hope that government will intervene more effectively. However, antiterror officials themselves have found it increasingly difficult to stop these recruitment efforts because of their countries' liberal deportation laws and other legal restrictions. In the end, claims one radical cleric, these officials can do little to stop suicide attacks and terrorism: "It is foolish to fight people who want death – that is what they are looking for." – YaleGlobal

Militants in Europe Openly Call for Jihad and the Rule of Islam

Patrick E. Tyler
Monday, April 26, 2004

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