The AEL spreads its wings

The Arab-European League (AEL) is an organization of radical Arab immigrants of the second generation, which found its origin in Belgium. Its leader has recently been arrested and freed again there; the entire chronology can be found on Live From Brussels. Now the organization is spreading to the Netherlands, led by 32 year old M'Hamed Zaghoubi, who has lived in Amsterdam since the age of four. He dropped out of the "HBO," a vocational training course and is now unemployed. The NRC Handelsbald newspaper had an interview with him. Here are some translated highlights. He says, There's an inequality in society. Moroccan youths are being disadvantaged." Then when asked about the high crime rate amongst Moroccans:

That surprises you? Since the 80's [Moroccan] youngsters have been educated to succeed their fathers on the factory floors. The Dutch educational system has failed. A difference is being made between immigrant and native youngsters. These are allowed to go to university, while most of the immigrants are sent to lower-level technical schools. Immigrants are being treated as a kind of Untermensch."

I am not a particularly big fan of the Dutch educational system (and my colleagues who have children in school are telling me it's getting worse), but it's not quite that bad. The complete refusal to accept any kind of responsibility for their own behavior and (lack of) achievements shows how thoroughly they've assimilated one part of Western culture: the vocabulary of victimhood. The gratuitous reference to the Nazis is deeply revolting. When Zaghoubi and his family get shipped off in cargo trains to be exterminated in concentration camps, then he'd have the right to complain of being treated as an Untermensch. He continues:

Dutch society is to blame for the societal problems caused by immigrant youngsters. That's why we have to increase awareness amonsgt Moroccan youngsters.

Again the well-rehearsed language of victimhood. The criminal is the victim. Society is to blame. Above all, don't accept responsibility for your actions, but try to get others to feel guilty instead. Disgusting. Zaghoubi is also dismissive of the established immgrant organizations. As an example he says that when he wanted to organize an anti-American demonstration shortly September 11th (!), these organizations came out against him, because he was too radical, too militant. Thank heaven for that brief glimmer of sanity (or was it pragmatism?). The interview ends with the question why Moroccans in the Netherlands, who're mostly Berbers rather than Arabs, would want to join an Arab organization. He says: "Islam unites us all, all youngsters from North-Africa."

Ah yes, this is sure to ease tensions. The multicultural future is now.