Does Europe Need a Union for the Mediterranean?

If you like the European Union, just wait till you see the Mediterranean Union!

In his latest essay, Fjordman pulls the lid off “EuroMed” and takes a look at his continent’s Eurabian future.

Does Europe Need a Union for the Mediterranean?
by Fjordman

Gisèle Littman was born to a Jewish family in Cairo, Egypt, in 1933. She has for years written under the pen name Bat Ye’or (“daughter of the Nile”). In several books she has explained the culture and mentality of dhimmis, non-Muslims submissive to Islamic rule. Eurabia: The Euro-Arab Axis from 2005 is perhaps her most controversial work.[1] While it has been dismissed as a “conspiracy theory” by hostile mass media, Bat Ye’or herself never claimed to invent the term Eurabia. This was the name of a French journal in the 1970s.[2]

The names and agreements referred to in her book are real. I have checked some of them personally. The only possible criticism that one might raised against Bat Ye’or is to say that she might have misinterpreted these agreements. They exist.

She describes the way in which Europe is gradually being transformed into a civilization of dhimmitude, an appendix to the Middle East that is subservient to Islamic demands. This process began in the 1970s with pressure from Palestinian terrorism and the blackmail of Arabs from Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) during the 1973 oil embargo. Certain European countries, particularly France, wanted to create a Euro-Arab bloc in an attempt to make up for declining international influence. The Euro-Arab Dialogue was born. In exchange for opening markets for European products in the Middle East, efforts were made to spread the Arabic language and culture in Europe and present a positive picture of Arab-Islamic civilization. This further included a positive attitude towards Muslim immigration to Europe, and supporting the Palestinians against Israel. The Euro-Arab cooperation has expanded to include mass media, academia, cultural centers, school textbooks, youth associations, tourism and interfaith dialogue. These developments have been supported by Western European leaders, whether through stupidity or otherwise.

Bat Ye’or also describes the Barcelona Process. It was created in 1995 with the intention of bringing Europe and the Arab world closer together. According to the EU’s website, “The Barcelona Process was launched in November 1995 by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the then 15 EU members and 12 Mediterranean partners, as the framework to manage both bilateral and regional relations. Guided by the agreements of the Barcelona Declaration, it formed the basis of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership which has expanded and evolved into the Union for the Mediterranean. It was an innovative alliance based on the principles of joint ownership, dialogue and co-operation, seeking to create a Mediterranean region of peace, security and shared prosperity.”[3]

In order to reinvigorate this Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and the Barcelona Process, a Union for the Mediterranean between the member states of the European Union and the Arab League was created in 2008. It says on their website that “The Union for the Mediterranean is a multilateral partnership aiming at increasing the potential for regional integration and cohesion among Euro-Mediterranean countries.”[4]

The Union for the Mediterranean has a joint secretariat. The members meet on a regular basis at the level of senior officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the 43 countries, EU institutions and the Arab League. The meetings are chaired by a co-presidency, one from the European Union side and the other from the southern Mediterranean side. The work of the UfM Secretariat is carried out in close collaboration with a network of partners and institutions, from government officials to the private sector and civil society. It encompasses interfaith and intercultural dialogue, as well as issues related to migration. Their own website states in English that the Union for the Mediterranean comprises the 28 EU member states, the European Commission and 15 Mediterranean countries. The League of Arab States, or Arab League, participates in all meetings at all levels of the Union. The Arab League represents countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen and Qatar. Mauritania in western Africa is a full member of the Union for the Mediterranean, enjoying the same formal status there as Algeria, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Morocco, Denmark, France, Jordan, Lebanon, The Netherlands, Palestine, Poland and Turkey.[5]

The Islamic Republic of Mauritania was the last country in the world to formally abolish slavery, as late as in 1981. It wasn’t until 2007 that Mauritania passed a law that criminalized the act of owning another person. An estimated 10% to 20% of Mauritania’s 3.4 million people are still enslaved today — living in “real slavery,” according to the United Nations’ special rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery.[6] A Mauritanian court upheld a two-year prison sentence against three anti-slavery activists who were arrested during a protest against bondage. This happened not in the year 1815 or 1915, but in 2015. Biram Ould Abeid was jailed alongside two others. In an open letter published after the ruling, he vowed to continue his fight against slavery and appealed for the USA and the EU to put pressure on Mauritania to act against the practice. The three activists arrested in 2014 while protesting against slavery were found guilty of “belonging to an illegal organisation, leading an unauthorised rally, and violence against the police.”[7] Yet the authorities of the Islamic slave state of Mauritania have a formal say in matters relating to the future of Europe and European civilization.

What does the Union for the Mediterranean do? Here are quotes from an update on the Internet from September 2015, on future prospects of the Euro-Mediterranean integration:

“By calendar coincidence, two main events related to the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation define the agenda of the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean in 2015: the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Barcelona Process (1995) — from which legacy the Union for the Mediterranean and its Secretariat are direct heirs — and the review of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) aimed at offering adequate responses to the growing challenges of the Mediterranean region by involving, through a joint consultation process, relevant stakeholders and taking into account the wide and varied interests and concerns.” This online document stipulates that “One of the major goals which must be met in years to come is regional integration in the Mediterranean. Whether it be in the fields of trade, economy, transport interoperability, industrial cooperation, agriculture markets, environment and climate change, higher education or scientific research — but also in many other strategic fields — this should be the underlying objective of any new investment in the region.”

Particular emphasis is put on cooperation in education, innovation and scientific research. Since the scientific output of Mauritania, Algeria and Jordan is quite limited, this cooperation will in practice entail a rather one-sided flow of European science and research to Muslim countries. Europe will presumably get some Muslim immigrants in return. “The Euro-Mediterranean region should be viewed from a comprehensive and holistic approach,” a North-South common agenda based on shared objectives. As such, “reinforcing intercultural and interreligious dialogue, and strengthening regional integration are now more important than ever if we are to create a common space for solidarity and stability in the Euro-Mediterranean region.” This involves weaving networks and building consensus with high level conferences. In the field of education, emphasis is put on the promotion of student, professor and researcher mobility flows, the harmonization of quality standards and accreditation procedures, the development of academic and vocational training networks to improve integration between Europe and the Arab-Muslim world.[8]

Critics might claim that the Union for the Mediterranean is merely a glorified association for promoting trade and cultural cooperation. Perhaps. However, let us recall that the European Union (EU) was for decades presented as being merely an association for promoting trade and cultural cooperation. It turned out to be far more than that. It was always intended to be far more than that by the EU’s founding fathers such as Jean Monnet. Jean-Claude Juncker, current President of the powerful European Commission, has bragged about using lies and subterfuge to further EU integration, while actively ignoring the will of the people. According to Mr. Juncker, “We decide on something, leave it lying around, and wait and see what happens. If no one kicks up a fuss, because most people don’t understand what has been decided, we continue step by step until there is no turning back.”[9] This has been the EU method of operation for generations. Is it then not possible that the Union for the Mediterranean, too, can have far-reaching consequences that are being presented as innocent?

As long as the Union for the Mediterranean exists, as it clearly does, should we not have a public debate about its purpose and long-term goals? Since few of the established mass media ever mention the Union for the Mediterranean, millions of European citizens are unaware of its existence. Much of North Africa and the Middle East now face serious problems with Jihadist groups and political instability. Many countries in Africa and the Islamic world also have a booming population growth that is probably unsustainable. As a result, the Mediterranean is currently experiencing a massive flow of illegal immigrants from Africa and the Islamic world to Europe.

European nations face a growing threat from militant Muslims and Jihadist terrorists. Many Europeans do not think it is wise in this situation to deepen the cultural, economic, religious and demographic ties to North Africa and the Middle East. However, ordinary European citizens have never been asked whether they wanted this. Their governments simply decided this for them, without consulting their own people.

Notes:

1.   Eurabia: The Euro-Arab Axis, by Bat Ye’or. Published 2005, Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.
2.   www.andrewbostom.org/2012/05/u-s-state-department-witnessed-1974-birth-of-eurabia/ U.S. State Department Witnessed 1974 Birth of Eurabia. Published by Andrew G. Bostom, 4th May 2012.
3.   www.eeas.europa.eu/euromed/barcelona_en.htm The Barcelona Process.
4.   ufmsecretariat.org/who-we-are/ Who are we? The Union for the Mediterranean is a multilateral partnership.
5.   ufmsecretariat.org/ufm-countries/ UfM Member States.
6.   edition.cnn.com/interactive/2012/03/world/mauritania.slaverys.last.stronghold/index.html Slavery’s last stronghold. Story by John D. Sutter, 2012.
7.   www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/aug/21/mauritania-anti-slavery-activists-sentence-upheld-accused-parody-justice Mauritania accused of ‘parody of justice’ as jailing of anti-slavery activists upheld. 21 August 2015.
8.   ciheam.org/images/CIHEAM/PDFs/Publications/LV/wl34/010 — UfM_ Edited.pdf Future prospects of the Euro-Mediterranean integration.
9.   www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4389/european-commission-president Meet the Next President of the European Commission. By Soeren Kern, July 8, 2014.
 

For a complete archive of Fjordman’s writings, see the multi-index listing in the Fjordman Files.

10 thoughts on “Does Europe Need a Union for the Mediterranean?

  1. There is no need for such a union. Just as there is no need for the EU but it was foisted upon us anyway.

  2. Around the time David Cameron made his promise to reduce immigration (presumably with his fingers crossed behind his back) the Foreign Office had an epamphlet declaring the UK’s position “at the forefront” of the EU Neighbourhood Project.
    It offers the possibility of the 4freedoms of the EU in exchange for reform and ‘harmonisation’, this of course includes the free movement of people.

    Not one journalist ever mentions this project or that it would mean the EU having an Islamic majority and the distinct possibility that Sharia law could be voted in democratically- well what passes for democracy in the EU.

    It puts the indoctrination of European children with the religion of peace lie and pushes for Sharia to be part of European laws in some perspective.

  3. Fjordman-

    “Since the scientific output of Mauritania, Algeria and Jordan is quite limited, this cooperation will in practice entail a rather one-sided flow of European science and research to Muslim countries.”

    This is a rather diplomatic way of describing Algeria’s scientific output. Where I work there are a few that are fairly intelligent, but most of them are purely content to pass the days playing games on their cellphones. As always, hate the kuffar, love his toys.

  4. The hidden agenda’s are the biggest danger. This goes for the EU, the UNO and even more for this secretive, anti-historic “pan-medittereanean” construction. By the time it shows it real teeth, just like the EU is doing now, it will be too late. European nations need international cooperation in order to survive in the long run, but not on a centralized, corrupted and materialistic basis like the EU, but rather on agreements between souvereign states, where the population has a democratic influence. The idea of Europe should be based upon our traditional spiritual values which can be rooted in Christianity, Judaism, Nordic mythology and Classical Humanism, true culture in art, music, literature and philosophy, and historical and geographical realities, and not in cold economic calculations, bureaucratic ruling and left-winged PC ideology. Our nearest partners for cooperation should be Russia and the other non-muslim-majority countries of the former Sowjet Union, North- and South-America, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Korea. The Islamic world should be kept on distance as long as they stick to this stone-age religion. I really hope and pray that one day the people in the Middle East, North-Africa, Central-Asia etc will wake up and shed this perverse pseudo-religion, which has been keeping them prisoner for so many centuries already, and which now threatens to add Europa to their unfortunate realm. I also hope that the minorities, which are already making our cities unsafe for us, especially for our Jewish, female and gay fellow citizens, follow this insight when it finally arises and finally become more European in their values and behavious. Imagine how much more beautiful the world and our lives would be, if the Middle East, Asia Minor and North-Africa return to Christianity and Judaism, Persia returns to Zoroaster, Pakistan, Bangla Desh and Indonesia rediscover Hinduism and Central-Asia finds its way back to Buddhism and Shamanism. I have a dream…

  5. Europe has been suffering under the yoke of leftist ideology for decades and yet nothing is ever done about it. I know a well educated, extremely bright engineer who owns a 400 square foot apartment-style condo on the outskirts of Paris. That is tiny by American standards. He is still young — in his early 30’s — so he might be able to buy something larger later, but when I was his age, I owned a 1650 square foot house in the U.S.

    When will Europeans become so frustrated with their situation that they will do something about it? Will the current flux of immigrants provoke a response? Or, will people simply keep going about their lives until things become unbearable? Will it be too late by that time?

    I have the same questions about the U.S. We have had a high flux of immigrants from south of our border and other parts of the world over the last half century. Within a couple decades, people of European descent will no longer be the majority. Before that, they will lose their influence as a lot of the people that are currently being counted are old people in nursing homes.

    The American left has poisoned the public dialogue against people of European descent. Our lives are much better than those of most people in Europe, so the suddenness of our fall may come as a surprise. The problem is that many of the immigrants are illiterate and though they are mostly Christian, they tend to vote for benefits for themselves at the expense of the majority population. Moreover, they mostly come from places that do not put a high emphasis on education. That means they’ll lag economically for generations which will encourage them to keep voting for politicians that promise them handouts. The result could be a death spiral — growing government strangling the goose that laid the golden egg.

    But Europe is definitely in more danger. The influx of foreigners is composed of people that do not share the religious heritage of Europe and are likely to be much less tolerant of their hosts. Islam will tolerate Christianity so long as the jizya is paid, but won’t tolerate the atheism of most Europeans. Since only young people fight wars, by the time Europe wakes up, it might be too late.

  6. It is agonizingly difficult to imagine a way to reverse this refugee migration. A little time passes, and each refugee/immigrant puts in roots. They begin to get licenses, to own things and real property. They can start families. They begin to vote and otherwise participate in life. They may acquire friends or get important occupations. They buy things and sell things and develop markets. They begin to change the culture of the receiving country. If no integration occurs they at least aggregate into political groups or criminal gangs or tribes and thereby gain power.

    How can you peacefully remove these people? They are not tourists or visitors. Any move to try to send the people home will be a civil war. You can’t vote for this. At most, the voters could remove criminals….probably a small percentage.

    We in the West are headed toward a tremendous, apparently unavoidable, catastrophe. I hope some us survive. There is probably going to be a lot of killing again. Geez, what a species we are.

    • It boggles the mind that Europe’s ruling classes don’t seem to have noticed what happens to a culture everywhere that Muslims establish a significant presence. I think it’s partly because of a failure to understand how seriously many people take their religion, and because of a rather shallow understanding of “culture.”

      On the one hand, the lefty multicultis insist that one’s “culture” is so crucial that one absolutely must be allowed to maintain it wherever one goes. On the other, the multicultis don’t seem to realize that “culture” includes attitudes and habits of mind that may be hostile to how the multicultis want to live their own lives.

      There’s also a colossal arrogance, as displayed in Frau Merkel: a belief that she and her peers are perfectly capable of “integrating” a massive Muslim population into Europe, even though there’s no real precedent for such a thing being successfully done.

      • Rade-

        The Eurolib elites are quite hypocritical in their view of culture. They view their native culture as empty and worthless, but they seem to view all non-Euro cultures as deeply filled with meaning. After living in North Africa for 3 years, I know this is not true at all.

        They also seem to miss the fact that the RoP is a thoroughly supremacist creed. It is the kuffar that will integrate into the Ummah or perish, not the other way around.

        If you want to get really cynical, you might posit that this swarm of locusts has been brought to Europe to collapse wages for the no-skill and low-skilled native workers. You might also consider that the elites see the RoP as the perfect control mechanism for the plebes, possibly in an arrangement like Saudi Arabia.

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