CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 25, 2015 – Recently, my nephew, a high-ranking career military officer, and his wife were reassigned to Western Europe. They were thrilled at the opportunity to live in another country. That was especially true for my nephew’s wife, who is German, because she would be closer to home.

Unfortunately, the magic of the adventure changed quickly for the worse, as evidenced by this e-mail we recently received in the wake of the Syrian refugee crisis:

“It is very discouraging that the European leaders and especially Merkel are not understanding how this will affect Europe. I guess I better buy a Hijab now and prepare for what it is to come. Sorry to be such a cynic, but it is sad to see what is happening to this beautiful continent.”

A frequent complaint about Americans by citizens of other countries is our lack of awareness of what is happening in the international community. In truth, this is not always our fault, given that we are the major player on the global political and economic stage. However, this argument does have a legitimate foundation.





Most of our news concerning other parts of the world focuses primarily upon the American role in any particular situation. Or, alternatively, it is fed to us in bite-sized pieces with a minimum depth or analysis. Consequently many Americans today see the world from a narrow vantage point that does not always lead them toward an accurate assessment.

That is precisely what happened to my relatives when they discovered how complex the world has become.

An example: within the past few weeks, two Muslim politicians won municipal elections in Brussels. Afterward, Lhoucine Ait Jeddig and Redouane Ahrouch vowed to implement Sharia law in Belgium.

In an article written for the Gatestone Institute by Soeren Kern, Ahrouch said, “We are elected Islamists but above all we are Muslims. Islam is compatible with the laws of the Belgian people. As elected Muslims, we embrace the Quran and the tradition of the Prophet Mohammed. We believe Islam is universal religion. Our presence on the town council will give us the opportunity to express ourselves.”

Kern goes on to point out that Ahrouch refuses to shake hands or make eye contact with females in public. In addition, he notes that Ahrouch was sentenced to six months in prison in 2003 for assault and battery on his disabled wife, even though he now spends much of his time talking about political ethics and respect for others.

Since when are such ideologies compatible with Belgian law? ISIS is compatible with teachings of the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad, but even our own president rejects that idea. Ahrouch is disingenuous when he compares Western morals with those of the Islamic world.

According to Ahrouch, writes Kern, “We have to sensitize people, make them understand the advantages to having Islamic people and Islamic laws. And then it will be completely natural to have Islamic laws and we will become an Islamic state.” That statement alone almost sounds like the dialogue from the science fiction film “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.”

The crime rate in the districts represented by these new Islamic electees, Molenbeek and Anderlecht, has escalated and has become so chaotic, that, Kern says, “Police have lost control.”

Today, 25 percent of Brussels’ population is Muslim, and those 300,000 people comprise half the Islamic citizens in the country. Brussels is now the most Islamic city in Europe and one of the most dangerous as well. Doesn’t anyone see a pattern here?

The problem of rising Muslim birth rates, compared to declining Western European populations is an ongoing crisis. When combined with the massive influx of Syrian refugees in recent months, the dynamic has changed radically.





As Kern points out, “the Muslim population in Belgium is young. Nearly 35% of the Moroccans and Turks in the country are below 18 years of age, compared to 18% of the native Belgians.”

It means that the numbers of young people who can easily be influenced by the “bold new adventure” offered by Islam are growing. Since 2008, the most popular boy’s name in Brussels is Muhammad.

With nearly 1/4th of the population in Molenbeek now Muslim, numerous multinational companies have left for safer, more secure locations.

Kern writes that the Belgian interior minister reported last November an average of five new cases of rape each week involving two or more offenders, and an average of 57 rapes a week in which one person was the perpetrator.

If a young married couple with two children can move to another country and recognize the seriousness of a situation in less than a month, does it not seem logical that the President of the United States, with all his advisers and international intelligence information, could also figure it out?

Says Soeren Kern, writing from a more realistic perspective, “The Iris and the Crescent” matter-of-factly sums it all up: “Islam is definitely part of the reality of Brussels.”

Bob Taylor has been traveling the world for more than 30 years as a writer and award-winning television producer focusing on international events, people and cultures around the globe.

Taylor is founder of The Magellan Travel Club (www.MagellanTravelClub.com)

Read more of What in the World and Bob Taylor at Communities Digital News

Follow Bob on Twitter @MrPeabod