Perfect Lunchtime Read Contribution

What’s Western Europe gonna do, and say? Now that ‘the Arabs’ are the leaders of the new “Free World”?

By: JustShootMe

So I was reading Al Jazeera English reportage on the ongoing protests in North African/ Middle Eastern nations, and there was a section on the recent influx of hundreds of Tunisian immigrants to Italy (http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2011/03/201132135258524383.html). 

Given many European nation’s unapologetic racism and hostility (eg. French president Nicolas Sarkozy, see: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/aug/02/france-racial-intolerance-sarkozy) towards North and West African migrants, I was curious to see how Western Europe is going to deal with this set of migrants that are coming as a result of pro-democracy protests (that Western nations ostensibly support).  Are they going to welcome them? Given the West’s penchant for painting ‘Arabs’ and ‘Muslims’ as monolithic, barbaric, backwards terrorists, it seems unlikely.  But really, what are they going to do with this pro-democracy variety of ‘Arabs’ and ‘Muslims’– especially when they come knocking on the West’s ‘democratic’ doors for shelter and support? Will the West continue the “illegal” immigrant refrain- implicitly denying any responsibility (i.e centuries of economic exploitation (through colonialism and neo-conservative global capitalism) for the migrants’ desperate need to reach European shores for safety and opportunity; or will the West seek to maintain a supportive veneer for those fighting to free themselves from tyranny?  More likely they will have contradictory and incoherent responses such as that of Italy’s foreign minister Franco Frantini, who in one breath calls the Tunisian immigrants “illegal immigrants”…”people that violate international and European law”; and in the next claims credit for Italy as country that “has been saving lives and rescuing huge numbers of migrants in need on the Mediterranean” (http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2011/03/201132135258524383.html)

Which is it Franco? Are they ‘illegals’ aka violators of international and European law or are they “migrants in need” aka victims of international and European law.  Figure it out “Free World” cause the Revolution’s at your doorstep!