Suspicion of the "other"

From the Sunday Times

"EUROPE’S reputation as a tolerant haven for people of all religions may be under threat. Muslims are apparently being viewed with high levels of disapproval, a survey has revealed.
Sweden emerges as the most pessimistic west European nation; 75% of Swedes questioned said there is “definitely a lot” or “rather a lot” of disapproval of Muslims.

Britain is relatively tolerant. Just 39% of respondents said they believed that a significant number of people were opposed to Muslims.

The survey was conducted in the wake of the September 11 attacks and the Madrid train bombings to examine religious attitudes. Researchers asked 1,000 people in 19 European countries: “Do you think nowadays there is a lot of, a little of, or no disapproval of Muslims living in European society”.

In Holland, 72% said there was a lot of disapproval of Muslims and in Denmark the figure was 67%. On average, 52% of people interviewed across western Europe believed that there was large-scale unhappiness about Muslims.

An estimated 13m Muslims live in the 25 countries of the European Union. On top of fears over Al-Qaeda attacks, tensions have risen in countries such as Holland where Theo van Gogh, the radical film-maker, was stabbed to death by an Islamic extremist. This was followed by at least 13 arson attacks on mosques, churches and Islamic schools across the country. "


Also, here is a news report from abc news

"ITHACA, N.Y. Dec 17, 2004 — Nearly half of all Americans believe the U.S. government should restrict the civil liberties of Muslim Americans, according to a nationwide poll.

The survey conducted by Cornell University also found that Republicans and people who described themselves as highly religious were more apt to support curtailing Muslims' civil liberties than Democrats or people who are less religious.

Researchers also found that respondents who paid more attention to television news were more likely to fear terrorist attacks and support limiting the rights of Muslim Americans.

"It's sad news. It's disturbing news. But it's not unpredictable," said Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Muslim American Society. "The nation is at war, even if it's not a traditional war. We just have to remain vigilant and continue to interface."

The survey found 44 percent favored at least some restrictions on the civil liberties of Muslim Americans. Forty-eight percent said liberties should not be restricted in any way.

The survey showed that 27 percent of respondents supported requiring all Muslim Americans to register where they lived with the federal government. Twenty-two percent favored racial profiling to identify potential terrorist threats. And 29 percent thought undercover agents should infiltrate Muslim civic and volunteer organizations to keep tabs on their activities and fund-raising.
Cornell student researchers questioned 715 people in the nationwide telephone poll conducted this fall. The margin of error was 3.6 percentage points"

Even though this century has seen the holocaust and civil rights act, Man never learns. It seems that the West always needs an "other" to fear/combat. After the Jew and the communist, it's the mohammedan's turn to feel the brunt of Western Civilization.