Prey, Ayaan Hirsi Ali
This is a carefully and well-researched thorough analysis of how migrants adjust to their new homeland in Europe, and it also exposes their effect on how females are viewed and treated. In all cases, it is the Muslim community of migrants that fares the worst with regard to integration. The largest number of immigrants were from Muslim countries and were men. The author sets out to learn why they fail to integrate into the society of their new host country and why women in the countries they enter are far more likely to be abused. She does not believe throwing money at the problem will solve it. It is not that they are not welcomed or that there are no programs to assimilate them into society. It is rather that they isolate themselves, forming their own “mini-Muslim countries” within communities, obeying the laws of Islam, more often than not. Sometimes the laws are more extreme examples of Sharia. In the communities in which they settle, they are allowed to make their own laws and disregard the rules of the country in which they now live. Often, they do not wish to assimilate and identify with their new country, but they cling, instead, to their old homeland and ways. This remains so, even though they left to find a better life. They still recreate the place they abandoned.
In the newly created Muslim communities, the language of their new country is ignored in their homes. The children are very sheltered. There are neighborhood "religious police" always watching their movement. Women are afraid to move about freely. In the home and their schools, they are taught to adhere to strict Islamic doctrine and males are taught to disrespect females. Ali provides suggestions to solve the problem of the lack of Muslim assimilation into the society of their new homelands, but these suggestions have largely been resisted because they resist a broader education. They believe that they can resist it all because they must face their G-d in the end and their G-d cannot be resisted. This behavior is accompanied by a great deal of fear because this Muslim community responds violently and is not punished adequately for its overreactions or crimes. Fear of being called names like racist and xenophobe etc. control the narrative. However, any response from the host country that shows weakness makes the offenders believe that their behavior is acceptable, so it continues and grows worse.
I have read several books by this author. All are well researched, and her honest appraisals of the situations are refreshing. She does not shy away from identifying the problems and telling the truth about them. An immigrant herself, from a Muslim country, she is very much aware of racism and of the stigma attached to criticizing Muslims, but also aware of the abuse of women in Muslim countries and now in the countries Muslims emigrate to, as well. She believes acknowledging the problems is not racism, but the first step in solving it. She refuses to be afraid to speak the truth.
While the statistics she offers are mind-numbing, they are eye-opening. The individual stories are horrendous, so much so that although the author advises the reader to read them all, I had to skim many because they were overwhelmingly brutal. The conditions that exist in Europe, and sadly in America today (although she does not address the United States), are deteriorating because explanations and suggestions to address the problems are met with anger, accusations and rebuttals, not solutions. Sadly, that doesn’t solve the problem, but exacerbates it. Rather than deal with the reality, an alternate reality is created in which to hide from the truth and protect those migrants, so as not to offend them. That means the harm they inflict on others is unregulated, unchecked and without consequences; the abuse of women is allowed to flourish.
This mass migration can inflict negative changes upon a civilized society. When the powers that be allow anyone to enter the country, regardless of cultural background or history of criminal behavior, only havoc can ensue. If their criminal behavior is allowed, soon it becomes accepted and the “outsiders” effectively control the narrative, changing the world of the “insiders” negatively. Women hide in their homes, don’t go out alone, not for religious reasons but out of fear. It was not until the order to allow unfettered immigration was instituted that rampant abuse of women began to occur. This mass influx, according to the author, also coincided with mass terrorist attacks across Europe. Although denied, at first, it has now been acknowledged that there are “no go” zones in which whites and women are unwelcome and law enforcement, ambulances and fire departments will not enter without a security escort for fear of being attacked.
Searching for help when faced with this religiously motivated abusive behavior by migrant men, women are brushed off, blamed, refused justice or simply ignored by government officials, law enforcement and other witnesses because even they fear being ostracized, ridiculed, labeled racists or worse, even suffer retaliation from the unpunished offenders. Anyone who speaks the truth about the situation, is probably going to be in danger, judges included. It is for this reason that the crimes are not punished appropriately, if at all. It is probably why Ali’s books do not get the wide recognition they deserve. If they were applauded, the people praising them would be wrongfully labeled as anti-immigrant, xenophobic or racists, rather than pro law enforcement, pro respect for women, pro controlled borders, and pro appropriate punishment for crimes. They would all require bodyguards.
When immigrants who claim to be children are bearded men, and are still believed, something is wrong with the society that pretends to believe them, not with the culture of these migrants who abuse women. If the system was more tightly controlled, rotten eggs would be removed before admitted, truly deported and not allowed back, not given comfort and sanctuary by misguided citizens believing they are being compassionate when they are allowing their society to become disrespectful to women and reversing the rights they worked so hard to achieve. Law abiding, moral immigrants would be admitted regardless of country or color or religion. Those who could add something to society would be encouraged to come and be welcomed. Those willing to learn the language and take on the cloak of their new country would succeed, but to do so, they would be expected to abide by the laws and show some appreciation for the opportunity they are being given.
All those who believe that our borders should be open, that anyone should have unfettered access to anyone’s country, should read this book. Actually, everyone should read this book because we are all effected by mass migration when it has a negative impact on our country, and if the Muslim migrant resists integration, he merely recreates his own country within a safe space that is provided for him, in his host country. Ali investigated the situation and wrote the book because she wanted to know why certain streets were emptying of European women. She found out why and outlines the reasons for the failure of Muslims to integrate into the society of their host countries. They won’t work in certain industries, won’t work next to women, won’t obey the laws of the country, and these refusals to adjust are being accepted and accommodated. She offers sensible suggestions to solve the problems, not eliminate them. She is not against immigration. Bleeding hearts are motivated by altruistic concerns, but they are not solving the problem, they are creating it. If you welcome immigrants, they will come, if they have no requirements to enter, they, most likely, will not be the cream of the crop. It is a recipe for disaster.
This book is an honest, fearless appraisal of the effect of migration on a country not willing to control its borders.