Book Review: While Europe Slept

[brendala.livejournal.com]

I read While Europe Slept as few years ago and I HIGHLY recommend it to everyone here. Mainly because it's a good, well-written book about the threat of radical Islam in the west. But also because it provides hope that even the most ardent, kool-aid drinking liberal can see the light and join us in the good fight against the forces out to annihilate us.

While Europe Slept is Bruce Bawer's autobiographical account of his immigration to Norway in the late 1990s. Bawer is a gay American journalist. And he decided to move to Norway back then because he felt that Europe would be a more tolerant and safe environment for him as a gay man than the United States (a place that he felt was controlled by homophobic Christians out to oppress him).
.....and then he learned the hard way that he was totally wrong.


Through the course of the book Bawer highlights the anti-American prejudice he endured at the hands of the white, liberal, and "tolerant" Europeans (people almost always went into America-bashing tirades when they first met him). He also talks about the violence and intimidation he and his Norwegian husband went through at the hands of young Muslim thugs in their neighborhood (and his shock when he realized that the Norwegian cops cared more about appeasing the Muslim community than protecting women, Jews, and homosexuals from violence).

I didn't realize just how bad the problem was until I read this book. One heart-breaking example he mentions is a string of rapes in a certain French city. Muslim youths were raping French women as punishment for the "crime" of walking alone and/or wearing "slutty" clothes. In response to this string of brutal rapes, French officials advised women to dress more modestly and stop walking alone. They didn't condemn the rapists at all; they just blamed the victims. Because condemning their belief that women should be punished for walking alone and/or dressing immodestly was considered Islamophobic.



He basically makes the case that Europe's Muslim immigrant problems are the canary in the coal mine. And if Americans don't learn from Europe's mistakes, we're screwed.


Bawer's story about embracing conservatism and learning to love America after encountering liberal bigotry/incompetence firsthand really hit home with me because that's how I discovered it, too. It's great to see him realize that, although the USA and the Republican party aren't perfect; we're still leagues ahead of Europe when it comes to standing up to intolerance and Muslim extremism.



As cliché as this sounds; this book made me feel proud to be and American. Please go check it out!

Comments

[neemarita.livejournal.com]

That is so terrifying. I hear that in Britain it's getting pretty bad, especially in Scotland as they have a large Pakistani population. I recall hearing something about someone--was it the Archbishop of Canterbury? God, I hope not but my brain is going there and I'm tired but awake--saying sharia law was perfectly legitimate. Of course, we hear the stories about FGM and honor killings over in Europe fairly often these days. It's so horrific.

I'm glad nothing happened to this guy.

And people think Europe is so tolerant and wonderful... :/

I'm definitely going to check out this book.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

A lot of European Jews are fleeing to Israel because of harassment and hate crimes. Even the people Europeans profess to love (like gays and women) get the shaft when they're targeted by Muslims. So it's even worse for Jews because Europe's issues with anti-semitism didn't die when WW2 ended (meaning they're even MORE disinclined to help Jewish victims). And the left's official stance with Israel sure as hell doesn't help.



I recall hearing something about someone--was it the Archbishop of Canterbury? God, I hope not but my brain is going there and I'm tired but awake--saying sharia law was perfectly legitimate.

Yes. It was the Archbishop of Canterbury. However, there is a silver lining in that incident. It inspired a FANTASTIC bit of satire from a British Conservative blogger/podcaster. Seriously, listen to it here (http://snnsite.com/website-features/catch-of-the-day/89-tale-of-the-asse-hatte).
I wish he had read the full poem (It's called 'Heere Bigynneth the Tale of the Asse-Hatte (http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2008/02/heere-bigynneth.html)'). It would have been GLORIOUS!

[neemarita.livejournal.com]

As an ex-Episcopalian and granddaughter of an Episcopal bishop I am always disgusted with how the Anglican community handles...well...everything. Let's just say that if my grandfather did take the offer to become the Bishop of ECUSA things would NOT be as they are now, folks.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is pretty much an atheist, sigh, though I know he is infuriated by the liberties ECUSA is taking with gay marriage, funerals for dogs, praising abortion... urgh.

Baha, that is hilarious!!!

[guardians-song.livejournal.com]

Glorious.

I love Iowahawk.

[neverfading.livejournal.com]

This sounds like a very insightful book. I read a few pages over at Amazon, and I'm intrigued.

"Bawer's story about embracing conservatism and learning to love America after encountering liberal bigotry/incompetence firsthand really hit home with me because that's how I discovered it, too."

Forgive me if this is nosy, but I'm curious about your story, in regards to this. Can you elaborate?

[brendala.livejournal.com]

Forgive me if this is nosy, but I'm curious about your story, in regards to this. Can you elaborate?

Don't worry. I don't mind at all. :)

When I was a teen, I was the typical "Daily Show Liberal". I got 99% of my news from John Stewart and believed every left wing stereotype about right wingers (including the canard about Christian Republicans being the most anti-Semitic people of our time).

When I got to college, I saw demonstrations that resembled NAZI rallies and they freaked me out. I later found out that they were Anti-Israel/Pro-Palestine rallies. But I knew next to nothing about that conflict because I had little interest in politics and religion at that time.

Back then, I had a silver Star of David necklace that I used to wear a lot simply because I thought it was pretty (I've never been religious. Judaism is an ethnic/cultural identity for me). More than once, a fellow student would approach me and randomly ask me what I thought of Israel and if I felt "bad" that they were oppressing people in my religion's name. At first, I'd just agree that Israel sucked just to make them go away. After the third or forth confrontation, I stopped wearing the necklace to school. And I was horrified to realize that this supposedly "liberal" place was forcing me to hide my Jewish identity in order to avoid harassment. None of the obnoxious Christians who tried to "save" me in high school ever made me feel afraid (the worst thing they did was annoy me).

After that, I researched the Israel/Palestine conflict and I just couldn't see how anyone could paint Israel as the genocidal villain in that fight. I started looking at other sources for news and realized (with a great deal of shock) that Fox News and talk radio wasn't a constant stream of hate speech. Those outlets actually made a lot of sense!
The Bush/Kerry election took place not long after that. And I proudly cast my first presidential vote for Dubya (a man that I had LOATHED just a few months prior).

So, in a way, I owe those bigoted douchebags a debt of gratitude. I'd like to think I would have "joined the Dark Side" eventually anyway. But they motivated me to do it sooner.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

The late politician Pim Fonteyn saw what was happening in Holland with the increasing Muslim population and realized as a gay man, the party was going to end for him eventually. And he was killed for his views, all of the while castigated as a racist by the left. Anti-religion libertarian Theo Van Gogh met the same fate in Holland a short time later. Geert Wilders has to watch his back everywhere he goes. Hirsi Ali Ayaan had to flee to the U.S.. The UK bans Michael Savage but hateful imams are free to roam all over Ol' Blighty. For years the Scandanavian countries have tolerated increased attacks by "youths" on women, Jews, and gays. Malmo, Sweden is practically a no-go zone for Jews. The attitude by the government is, they would be nicer to us if we were nicer to them. Let's not offend them, everybody!

France seems to be one of the few countries trying to get a hold of the situation but the problem Europe has is that it seems incapable of respecting individual religious liberties, encouraging integration, and finding anything in between hardcore xenophobia and letting an incompatible culture overrun their own.

[neverfading.livejournal.com]

THIS.

Your observations are totally on-point. My question, though, would be this:

Clearly, these people don't want to integrate or assimilate.

We are not talking about Irish-Americans who celebrate Saint Patrick's Day, here. Muslims aren't going to engage in the type of assimilation where they keep a few token, superficial aspects of their culture while subscribing whole-heartedly to Western values and cutting ties with the more radical and destructive aspects of their home-culture.

I question whether there is really any such thing as having a dual cultural identity, having your cake and eating it, too. Multiculturalism is not a successful concept. It invariably means the host-country accomodating and capitulating to the minority, not vice-versa.

"Encouraging integration" is just another inadequate response to the problem, another Pollyanna-ish, idealistic Western idea. It's "Why can't we all just get along and sing Kumbaya?"

It's time to abandon any notion of compromising or negotiating with people who pose an active threat to our safety.

I would have no problem with the US and other Western countries totally cutting-off immigration from Muslim nations for a few years. Is that discrimination? Yes. But we need to get over this idea that discrimination is always bad, and that's a major mental hurdle for almost everyone, including people who are supposedly conservative, because the "tolerance, diversity, and mulitculturalism" concept has been pounded-into us so thoroughly that it affects us in ways that we don't even consciously realize.

The whole "we are a nation of immigrants" thing is leftist propaganda. There is nothing noble or beneficial about allowing totally unlimited immigration.

We (the West) are way, way past the point where any cautious measures will help. Cut off immigration from Muslim countries, and deport people who belong to radical groups or who publicly advocate violence. Period.

Not to be facetious, but I really get the sense that there are no part-time Muslims, so to speak. These immigrants are never going to have the mindset that they are American (French/Dutch/whatever) first, and Muslim second.

What they are doing is literally *colonizing* us: establishing little duplicates of their home-country, here in our countries. They have no interest in being American/French/Dutch/whatever, they are interested in spreading and expanding Islamic-ruled territory.

Their behavior and strategy is like that of parasites on a host-body, taking what they need from it while weakening it in the process.

[kelincihutan.livejournal.com]

I question whether there is really any such thing as having a dual cultural identity, having your cake and eating it, too. Multiculturalism is not a successful concept. It invariably means the host-country accomodating and capitulating to the minority, not vice-versa.

I've really got to disagree with you here. I lived in Indonesia, growing up, and while it's taken me some time going back and forth, I've finally settled into someone who does not subscribe to all the facets of Western culture or Asian culture. To be honest, the "third culture" between home and host is actually very similar among all those who have grown up "between cultures" as I did.

The trick to making it work, though, is to respect the culture to which you come (and from which you come). Because I was living in Indonesia, I felt responsible to learn to speak Indonesian, and to learn how to politely navigate ordinary social interactions like buying groceries and basic conversation. Because that's just basic courtesy that any expatriate should practice when coming to someone else's country. It doesn't mean you have to think the host culture is getting everything right (because nobody does that). But everyone that I've met who successfully integrates into a new culture has had a very similar view of...well, basically being a good guest until you get out of the n00b phase.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

Integration is a complex issue and in Europe today, it's a two-sided problem. Europeans were traditionally touchy about foreigners and unlike in America, it was harder for an immigrant to be considered a German or a Frenchman even if he became a citizen. But in recent decades, there was an increasing number of people who had no desire to "integrate" and no reason to do so thanks to multicultural attitudes and the critical mass of immigrants from one place or from a similar culture.

[guardians-song.livejournal.com]

Have to wonder if they're falling on their own sword with that one.

They didn't assimilate outsiders while they could, and now they're paying the price with massive amounts of never-assimilated outsiders milling about inside their borders.

That said, the results either way are terrifying.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

Integration is a complex issue and in Europe today, it's a two-sided problem. Europeans were traditionally touchy about foreigners and unlike in America, it was harder for an immigrant to be considered a German or a Frenchman even if he became a citizen.

A few chapters in the book are dedicated to this mentality (there's actually a Dutch term for it; but I can't remember what it is ^_^;).

Bawer talks about how the children and even grand-children of immigrants (kids who were born and raised in the Netherlands and ONLY speak Dutch) are still referred to as "foreigners" and/or "immigrants" by native Dutch people. And he talks about how he was never 100% accepted despite the fact that he learned the language, married a Dutch person, and embraced the culture (up until it literally tried to kill him, of course).
Hell, immigrants who embrace and love European culture are often PUNISHED for doing so (see: Ayaan Hirsi Ali). So it's really no surprise that things got so bad over there.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

Pim Fortyun, Theo Van Gogh, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali all get a lot of coverage in Bawer's book (since Bawer was in Europe when most of their tragedies happened).

Speaking of Ayaan Hirsi Ali (who I consider a living Goddess for all the shit she's gracefully dealt with), I find it telling that American Conservatives were the ones to embrace her and giver her a job (and a way into the USA) after her White bosses revoked her political title AND HER GODDAM CITIZENSHIP because her efforts to make life better for other women of color in her adopted country were bothersome to their status quo.
Ali is a model immigrant. She embraced and loved Dutch culture and tried to make other immigrants understand how lucky they were to be Dutch. She risked her life to make that country better. And the White liberals in charge basically sentenced her to death for it.



France seems to be one of the few countries trying to get a hold of the situation but the problem Europe has is that it seems incapable of respecting individual religious liberties, encouraging integration, and finding anything in between hardcore xenophobia and letting an incompatible culture overrun their own.

The downside to this is that France waited so long that the xenophopic wing of the populace is getting angry and pushing for things that violate personal freedoms (like the headscarf ban). And the European racists now have justification in the form of Muslim youths literally taking over cities and being free to commit crimes because the cops are too politically correct to arrest them.

[neemarita.livejournal.com]

I've never heard of her, so I looked her up. Damn, that woman has guts. I am glad she is speaking out. Perhaps someone will listen to her.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

Ayaan Hirsi Ali has written three books. I HIGHLY recommend buying them. And, if you can, get the audio versions. She recorded them herself and she has a lovely voice/accent.

[coldblossom.livejournal.com]

My brother, who lives in Zurich, told me as much about Europe based on what he's seen/experienced. He basically said that, if you're not white and especially if you're a Jew, things will be much more difficult for you. I hadn't noticed until I started following the World Cup back when USA was a contender just recently but the soccer arenas are plastered with anti-racism campaigns...they actively have to promote that cause much like we promote anti-drug campaigns. So there is the intolerance of the different races towards each other.

Then on Reddit (can you tell that I'm on Reddit a lot? lol) posted this link (http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2012/09/28/pour-56-des-francais-le-racisme-anti-blancs-se-developpe_1767478_3224.html) to a French article which basically states that 56% of French thing that anti-white racism is manifesting itself. Someone there commented with the following:

The comments here are pretty funny, most of the people don't know what it's actually to live with immigrants who refuse to integrate. I come from a poor suburb close to Paris and I'm white. Let me tell you a little bit about my story. It starts with school, white people who consider themselves French are a minority. It's mostly arabic and black people who consider French an insult. People say white French people don't consider black people as possibly French? It's the other way around, black and arabic people equates French with being white. Growing up I had a few arabic and black friends, people who were well raised, so my post is not a generalization. Coming back to school as soon as grade 5 you are treated of "bolosse" "patrice" "french" because you're white, I had a big brother who was known to be pretty tough (now in jail), so I wasn't bullied. But for other white kids it was hell. Boys bullied. Girls sexually harassed because you don't harass your "sister (black or arabic) but with white girl it's perfectly fine. My sister got raped at 13 just when my big brother left and since then didn't leave home at all. Everytime she got home she was treated of "slut", "easy girl" because she got raped. I let you guess the origins of the rapists. Also, to enter my building I was searched by dealers, and there were part of the city I wasn't allowed to go in. I got mugged many times because I'm white (last time 7 guys following me, insulting me of "enculé de français"). Any reason is good to them, looking at them funny or simply walking by without lowering your eyes. Ofc the police never ever went into the city.
Even as a tourist you may have a glimpse of them, they are the same bands of 40 people in the subway occupying place like "gare du nord", mugging random people from time to time.
So I must be racist right? The fact that 95% of the people who made my life hell are black and arabic should not be told? You give me a black guy normally dressed and a white thug, I trust more the black guy. You give me 1 black and 1 white guy dressed normally, I don't make any difference. Sadly most (and when I say most I say most) of the young arabic and black are thugs. I'm actually sorry for the nice black and arabic people who have nothing to do with them.
When you live 18 years in fear whenever you get out of your home because you're white you have every right to criticize mass immigrations. Integration is 50-50, maybe France is not at its own 50, but I can say the people I was mentioning are at 0.

[link (http://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/10nsk8/survey_says_56_of_the_french_think_that_antiwhite/c6f610u)]

[brendala.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link (my French is decent enough to get the jist of the article/comments).

Political Correctness and mass immigration coupled with a low tolerance for the American-style "melting pot" ideal seems like the perfect recipe for disaster in Europe. It's sad that the few people offering rational solutions are either killed off or driven away.