The Roots of Modern Islamic Extremism In Europe:

The Roubaix Gang

Some decade or so ago I attended briefings with (former) colleagues at U.S. Naval Headquarters in a major European city.

After one such briefing we were treated to a 'Buffalo Burger' reception. [Yep politically correct folks, Buffalo was on the menu -and it tasted great!]

Between munching on my burger and a beer I had the opportunity to chat with a Navy Commander (that evening soon to return to active duty.)

He asked my opinion of what should happen in Bosnia, now that the conflict was ending.

I said that the first priority must be to get rid of (sic. forcibly repatriate) Jihadi militants from Chechnya and elsewhere who had ensconced themselves with local communities (even inter-marrying and taking local names of missing or presumed dead citizens to attempt to avoid detection – this I had learnt from my own trip to Bosnia.)

To return to the U.S. Naval headquarters chat, we were both in agreement and I was hopeful that the politicians would equally share our sentiments.

This was not to be the case and the Jihadist fighters who had (and have) infiltrated Bosnia now use this as their hidden 'Al Qaeda' (base) for operations into Europe.

One of the problems was that they (Muslim Jihadi extremist fighters from Chechnya) had so well blended into local communities - being assisted by Bosnian Muslim politicians – that they were untraceable.   These same 'tactics' [see above] have been used in other parts of the world to 'blend in' to avoid detection.  Most simply 'disappear' into very 'tight-knit' supportive local communities.

These are individuals who have direct links back to extremists in Chechnya and other regions of the Caucuses.

As with most modern terrorist groups they seed-financed their organization with several major armed robberies - in this particular case along the French-Belgian border. They were already very well armed and seasoned fighters.   As most were European (Caucasian) in appearance there was nothing which would make them 'stand out' in a crowd.  This was to be their ace in evading capture – and almost blowing up the G7 Lille Conference.  Most were eventually either captured or killed but their leader, Lionel Dumont, a Muslim convert, successfully evaded capture and death by fleeing back through Bosnia.   He may have been offered the opportunity of a new life in the Caucuses – a reward for his 'services – but declined (this latter is speculation and should not be taken as actual fact) stayed in Bosnia, later fled to Japan and was eventually extradited back to France.

(Don't confuse the 'foot soldiers' such as those involved in the Charlie Hebdo and Kosher Store Market slaughters with their instigators and 'spiritual' motivators.)

The point I am making here is that modern Islamic terrorism in Europe can be directly traced back to our failure to understand exactly who these 'volunteer' Jihadist fighters in support of their 'Muslim' brothers actually were and what their hidden agendas for Bosnia and eventually the rest of Europe are at present.

Failures to dot the 'i's' and cross the 't's' are responsible for our current dilemmas.

Generations of Muslims who came to Europe (or as I refer to it, Christendom) were not radicalised.

This was a problem for extremists since there was nobody who could be 'trusted' so 'fear' became the key to their success.  Fortunately Imams from Saudi Arabia would provide this key ingredient.

As clerics they were above suspicion and could travel freely the length and breadth of the European continent, identifying potential recruits (initially other clerics) or individuals susceptible to radicalization and setting up 'support' networks (cells).  Part of the strategy involves fear – terrorizing Muslims to have as little as necessary contact with Christians because of their 'polluting' and 'degenerate' values.

Fear of fatwas (excommunication and death) are classic psyop tactics to instil order and obedience of the masses and such extremists have used them with remarkable effectiveness – operating 'below the radar' for decades simply because the traditional law and order forces have other priorities than questioning the motives of clerics and well-dressed bespoke, law-abiding polite individuals – which some of the most (effective) 'sleepers' are.

France's ghettoization of it's Muslim population and the denial of equal rights and opportunities for it's French Muslim youth together with the racism many will tell you they experience in every aspect of French life and society, a denial of their culture and existence in all aspects of French institutions, all adding to this radical 'recruitment drive' both in terms of alienation and being fertile grounds for extremist Islamic preachers - offering as they do an 'explanation' for Muslim 'suffering'  [in rather similar manners to the reasons for 'suffering' of the ordinary Germans which the National Socialist (Nazi) Party successfully exploited through their 'bible', Mein Kampf ; likewise the 'suffering' of all Muslims, worldwide, can be explained [solely] through radical Imams [exclusive and narrow] interpretation of the Hadith of the Koran.  If you have no hope, no future, no work and no perceived value in any society be it Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or Hindu, or indeed Atheist declared countries, such 'call to prayers' and to 'have faith' can be very powerful motivators.

Most of the popular media consists of journalists who have little real 'experience' of war zones, terrorism and counterinsurgency tactics. Many simply 'piggy-back' their Muslim extremist stories with one feeding the other until you get a crescendo of anti-Muslim rhetoric (usually disguising racism and mirroring their own grievances.) The problem here is that the public are misled and deflected away from the source of the issues – a failure of the politicians (our Christian politicians) to solve problems; a failed policy in the Bosnia and a failure to get the Saudis to 'play ball' across a variety of world issues; And, of course, conflicts just on the periphery of Christendom (North Africa and The Levant) all of which are converging in chaos as we appear so hopelessly unable to solve any of these crises only increasing instabilities with every failed policy – and resulting in an exodus of terrified refugees from (mainly) Muslim lands – which only add to the problems.

When you ask yourself 'why?' - why does the West not put pressure on, say, the Saudis – who bear a heavy responsibility for much of the Muslim extremist sentiments in the world, not just in Europe, then you are on the path to understanding the problem. Only then, when you can answer these questions – and if the politicians listen - will it ever be possible to work out solutions to radical Islam.

©Patrick Emek, 2015

There are so many examples of the 'thinking ' in Saudi Arabia and it's negative
influence on the Muslim world , I will add just one current example of what is 
the normative of thought is amongst most Saudis:
(I have given less frivolous examples elsewhere but I chose this current one to emphasize
how extremist Islam is a world apart from Christendom and no amount of appeasement will ever satisfy such extremists.)

Saudi cleric condemns building of snowmen as the work of 'Satan' and the 'West':

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/saudi-cleric-condemns-snowmen-as-anti-islamic/ar-AA84xyX?ocid=mailsignoutmd