A new development in the European immigration crisis has emerged, with Slovakia
stating that it will only accept Christian refugees from Syria, in a program designed to help Syrians escape Civil War and refugee camps. Both sides of an interesting discussion forming around this issue have, so far, only spoken publicly in smoke and mirrors; the Slovaks are saying that Muslims “are not going to like it here” because there are no mosques, and after all, Slovakia is only a transit country; meanwhile, EU and UN spokespeople have stated that the migrant intake should be “inclusive” and not based on “discrimination,” (a dog-whistle accusation of racism.) What is quite possible is that Slovakia is taking a stand, and it is upsetting the agenda of EU decision makers.
This story raises several important questions:
Does accepting large number of Muslims into a country equate to a fundamental challenge to that country’s character and identity?
Is it racist to only accept migrants of a certain religion from another country but not of another religion?
Is this a sign that Slovakia is giving legitimacy to a growing feeling in the West, the idea that Islam and The West are diametrically opposed in identity and outlook, because one is open and flexible, while the other is not?
We will seek to answer these questions and to expand on this issue over the coming days.
It’s your XYZ.