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Blocking Turkey 'keeps Islam out of the European Union'
Nicolas Sarkozy's recent comment that Turkey does not have its place in the European Union is just to keep Islam out of Europe, according to the former editor of Le Monde Diplomatique.
- By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 January 16, 2007
- Image Credit: EPA
- Alain Gresh, former editor and author of several books on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and expert on the Middle East.
Dubai: Nicolas Sarkozy's recent comment that Turkey does not have its place in the European Union is just to keep Islam out of Europe, according to the former editor of Le Monde Diplomatique.
Currently on a three day tour of the UAE, Alain Gresh, former editor and author of several books on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and expert on the Middle East, on Monday said problems associated with Islam are socio-economic rather than religious.
In France today, as in other Western countries, the simple mention of Islam can cause a debate, at least a concern, and even sometimes an unconscious fear, added Gresh.
"Religious differences have replaced the social differences in the public speech, and there lies the real threat," he said.
"Personally I'm against any enlargement of the European Union. They expanded to 25 countries too fast, no decisions are made because it is too big. To keep Turkey out of Europe is a way political parties think because it is popular to talk about it," said Gresh.
"In France Muslims tend to be poor immigrants. They were discriminated against because they are Arab and now they are being discriminated against because they are Muslim."
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