Recently, especially after the October-November 2005 events in France, newspapers and magazines around the world, as well as in public and political circles and in the scientific community, have been discussing the place and role of large Arab-Muslim communities that have emerged in Europe and America. The discussions actually began much earlier , shortly after the terrorist attack in New York on September 11, 2001. This event caused millions of people on all continents to look anxiously at the Muslim world and try to take a closer look at it.

A lot of research has been devoted to the phenomenon of Islamic fundamentalism. Most experts considered this problem in political-historical or political science aspects. Much less attention was paid to social and socio-psychological issues. However, after the September 11 terrorist attack, books began to appear that focused on just these aspects of Islamic fundamentalism.

The book "Rage and Pride"by Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci, which denounces not only terrorism, but also Islam as such, caused a special public response. Although the book is over 150 pages long, I read it over the course of the evening and was honestly shocked. According to the author's original plan, this book should open the eyes of those who do not want to see what is happening, "clear the ears of those who do not want to hear, make those who do not want to think think"¹ . In the five years that have passed since its publication, this book remains a worldwide bestseller, around which fierce disputes do not stop.

...Now immigrants from Muslim countries can be found in different countries of Europe, in the USA and Canada, even in Australia. Their number exceeds tens of millions of people. Many figures of Western culture express their concerns in this regard. Thus, the famous French actress Brigitte Bardot, in an interview with the newspaper France-Soir, said that she was concerned about the widespread spread of Islam in France ^.2 Oriana Fallaci is even more categorical about this. It explicitly declares that the current situation in Europe is a "war of religions". "The war," she writes, " that ... it is aimed at conquest ... our souls and the destruction of our freedom. A war that is waged to destroy our civilization, our way of life and death, the way we pray or don't pray, eat, drink, dress, study, enjoy life. " ³

IS THE "ISLAMIC INVASION" A MYTH OR A REALITY?

These words of the Italian journalist, a staunch atheist, almost literally coincide with the opinion of a number of European figures of the Christian church, who also believe that the "Islamic invasion" is a serious threat to Europe, hinders the development of culture and opposes the Christian religion in a number of European countries, for example, in France, Germany, Italy and Belgium. They emphasize that in the Islamic world, unlike in the Christian world, religion is not one of the secrets or segments of life that govern certain issues and do not concern other things; Islam exercises not partial, but full jurisdiction over all aspects of life. In such a society, the very idea of separating church and state is meaningless.

Back in 1998, the French writer Michel Houellebecq published the novel "Elementary Particles" - one of the most acclaimed novels of the late XX century, which brought the author worldwide fame. In it, he first touched on the topic of "the war of civilizations". Houellebecq is one of the most controversial and best-selling authors in France and Europe, who is called a cult writer in his homeland. Each of his books provokes scandal after scandal. And when his next novel, The Platform, was published in 2002, a new scandal broke out, where the French Muslim community was the most active attacker. The French National Federation of Muslims accused the author of inciting " religious hatred and racial hatred." And there is a considerable amount of truth in this - after all, it is in the novel "Platform" that there are such words: "Islam is the most deaf creed. Since its inception, it has been a dangerous religion. " ⁴

Recently, in the fall of 2005, a collection of poems by Michel Houellebecq was published, where the author of famous novels appears to the reader in a lyrical form, so to speak. This does not mean that Houellebecq has moved away from his position in poetry. No, the poems are devoted to the same acute themes and problems that the author posed in his prose works.

People who emigrate to other countries hope that there they will find freedom or that there, in another country, they will be able to realize their plans, fulfill their dreams, achieve what they failed to achieve in their homeland. However, there are also those among immigrants who believe that France, England, and Germany are godless countries, and it is necessary, at all costs, to join the fight against the "infidels", moreover, to become active participants in the"holy war". This sad fact is gradually being recognized in all countries where immigrants from Arab and Islamic countries come. Governments have to take appropriate security measures such as:

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states, as well as individual citizens. I believe that statesmen in many countries would subscribe to the following words of the Italian Interior Minister, which were published in the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram on June 3, 2003: "We are ready to enter into a dialogue with moderate Islam, the religious trend that the overwhelming majority of Muslims living in Italy adhere to. However, we are also ready to stand up to Islamic extremists who believe that their main task is to wage a holy war against all those who are not Muslims. Extremists support terrorism and are ready to instill fear and terror in the souls of all people. Therefore, it is necessary, first of all, to clear all mosques that are located on the territory of Italy, from those people who call for violence, people who share their views, in order to wage the so-called holy war."

Oriana Fallaci makes much harsher judgments than the Interior Minister. For her, all Muslims are extremists. "The mosques of Milan, Turin and Rome are simply overflowing with terrorists or terrorist candidates who want to blow up our bell towers, our domes!"⁵ The author of the book" Rage and Pride " sees the Muslim world as an eternal rival and constant opponent, with whom it is difficult to find a common language. In her opinion, Muslim culture is "a culture of fanatics with struggle, chador and burqa" ⁶ . These words don't need any comments. The author's negative attitude towards Islam as a religion is obvious and emphasized on almost every page.

Describing how her book was born and published (it was written immediately after the events of September 11), the author, unfortunately, completely ignores the opinion of the Arab intelligentsia, journalists, writers and many political figures of different Arab countries, forgets about the evidence of their negative reaction to the terrorist act, which resonated almost all over the world. If you look through at least a few newspapers and magazines published in different Arab countries, it will become clear that the overwhelming majority of Arab intellectuals condemn both terrorism in general and the specific terrorist attack that took place in New York.

WHO ARE YOU WITH, MASTERS OF ARABIC CULTURE?

Are Arab writers, scientists and cultural figures really unable to resist terror? A terror that destroys civil societies, turning them into amorphous structures filled with fear and terror? Unfortunately, the Arabic literature has not yet been able to put forward ideas that would help effectively counter terrorism. So far, all that we have been able to read or hear from the Arab writers themselves are only tentative attempts to understand the essence of the situation that is causing an aggravation of religious and cultural conflict.

According to the author of the article" Literature and Thought against Terror "published in the Kuwaiti newspaper Ar-Rai al-Amm on March 6, 2005," ... Arab writers have so far created works that can only cause drowsiness or the feeling that reading suffocates a person under the weight of their purely personal interests.". Only a very small group of writers managed to get out of this critical situation into the open spaces of life and touch on the real problems that concern society. They tried to seriously and sincerely devote their creativity to what is really happening in the reality around them.

Modern Arab-Muslim literature in its current state, according to many Arab authors, does not play a significant social role, is not able to really counteract attempts to cause turmoil, to split the ranks of Arab society. Writers, as representatives of the creative intelligentsia, are often immersed in their own private world, not noticing the fiery flame that turns the world around them into ruins.

Meanwhile, terror under the banner of Islam is becoming a serious obstacle to trust and partnership between Islamic and" non-Islamic " countries. A global problem is emerging in the world that has a serious impact on the self - identification of Muslims-the problem of hatred of the non-Muslim world towards Muslims. No serious research has yet been written on this issue, but now, due to the widespread opinion that terrorism is caused by Islam, this topic is beginning to attract the attention of not only journalists, but also researchers.

WHO HAS "PORRIDGE IN HIS HEAD" - HE HAS A MACHINE GUN IN HIS HAND

In Europe and America, "Islamic terrorism" is sometimes seen as something intrinsic to Islam, especially at the present time. Such an opinion is often imposed on Muslim youth. Islamic radicals who perform in mosques provoke young people to take part in shouty marches organized by Islamists, and even to commit suicide, calling on them to become suicide bombers in order to achieve the " high goals of Islam."

If older Muslims who arrived decades ago, for example, in France, remain attached to the traditions of their homeland, then their children are morally more connected with the life of the state, where they found themselves not by their own will, but by the will of their parents. This creates a monstrous mess in their heads and discomfort in their souls, creating a favorable breeding ground for the seeds of destruction and rebellion that Islamic radicals and extremists sow. There are some young Muslims who practice a more orthodox Islam than that of their parents. They themselves have already become radicals, ready to take active action in the name of false ideas and goals. If they have not yet become terrorists, they are at least ready to embark on this dangerous path.

Scholars and politicians are almost unanimous in their assessment of second-and third-generation Muslim Islam. They believe that it is a fairly serious social force that is able to protect its interests ^.7

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If they are brought up in the spirit of radicalism and extremism from the earliest childhood, then when they grow up, they are unable to understand other people, other cultures.

The fight against radicalism in the Islamic environment is a very serious problem. In the same France, the activities of Muslim terrorists intensified in the summer of 1995. Over the past 20 years, every French Government has made efforts to streamline the legal framework for countering extremist activities and spreading extremist ideas. However, recent events in France have shown that the effectiveness of all this work is close to zero. The great wave of pogroms, bombings, and arson that swept France in the fall of 2005 could not but cause a new surge of interest in Oriana Fallaci's books. Especially after she published another book called "The Power of Reason" in 2004, which talks about "the threat of Islamic expansion in Europe" and how "the Catholic Church, by its inaction, actually condones this threat." "Europe is becoming more and more a province, a colony of the Muslim world," ⁸ says the writer.

Considering "Islamic terrorism" an integral product of the Muslim religion, Oriana Fallaci does not accept Islam. She does not like the Muslim culture, which, in her opinion, cultivates and glorifies violence and cruelty, destroys the individual. At the same time, she admires the United States, arguing that in terms of religious tolerance, this country is a model that must be followed.

Yet it is hardly legitimate to associate terror with any religion or nation, as Oriana Fallaci does. In particular, the use of the phrase "Islamic terrorism" should be extremely cautious, since it can be considered as a form of inciting inter-religious hatred, which is unacceptable in modern society.

The problems that Oriana Fallaci addresses in her book are of great interest today both from the scientific community and from the general public, including in our country. The author, referring to the historical, religious and cultural thought that has become widespread in the West, has built up her own deeply personal position towards the Muslim world. This position, as we said above, is extremely negative.

THE PRESS ALSO "TRIED"...

But it is not only Fallaci's books that create a negative image of Arabs in society. The press plays a significant role in distorting the real picture of life in the Arab world, in creating a frightening image of the Arabs and in shaping world public opinion about them. French newspapers and magazines, for example, are quite successful in this.

Abusive attacks are heard from the pages of newspapers and magazines in this country, for example, against Middle Eastern oil magnates or leaders of Libya. Reports about the official visits of the leaders of the Gulf states, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt to France and the return visits of French leaders to Arab countries, as a rule, were accompanied by publications in which one could catch the hidden ridicule of public administration in Arab countries, mocking the inability of these states to manage natural resources.

Journalists enjoyed the personal lives of the leaders of the Persian Gulf countries and did not hesitate to present the Arabs as the "main terrorists". Most often, the accusations were directed at Libyans and Palestinians who were accused of committing terrorist acts, where the victims were French.

This is the tone of the French media for many years, creating a negative image of Arabs in the eyes of millions of people. At the same time, the authors of the publications did not care at all that France today has the largest Muslim community in Europe. Irresponsible publications in newspapers, magazines and television have led to the growing belief among "French Muslims" that the French will never be able to live in peace with them. The events of the "hot autumn of 2005", of course, taught French journalists something. But it is clear that it will take a very long time to "correct" the distorted image of the "French Muslim"created by their efforts in public opinion.

Such sad thoughts came to me after reading Oriana Fallaci's book. However, not only this book, but also others, as well as a number of media publications, too. Politicians, writers, and journalists should exercise great tact and balanced judgment when preparing texts about the Islamic faith and its followers. Here, perhaps more than in any other field, it is extremely important to adhere to the motto of another, highly humane profession - " Do no harm!"

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^{Fallaci O.} 1 Rage and Pride, Moscow, Vagrius Publ., 2002, p. 20.

² France Soir, May 11, 2003

^{Fallaci O.} 3 Ibid., p. 68.

^{Louis Bernard.} 4 Islam and the West, Moscow, 2003, p. 215.

^{Fallaci O.} 5 Ibid., p. 71.

⁶ Ibid., p. 75.

⁷ Moslems in the West, Moscow, Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2002.

⁸ <url> portal - April 6, 2004.

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