The EU announced the new proposal -- which will allow the citizens of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia to travel to EU countries without needing a visa starting from Jan. 1, 2010, if all 27 member states give their approval -- on Wednesday. The European Commission's proposal excluded three other Balkan countries which have Muslim-majority populations, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and newly independent Kosovo.
Randomly surveyed by Today's Zaman, residents in the capital of Ankara said the move was not surprising because the EU is a Christian club and favors Christians over others.
Galip Bayar, 70, a bookstore owner, said the EU's latest move is indubitably religious discrimination. “It is obvious that there is an anti-Muslim sentiment within the EU, both at the societal and the political level. This directly translates into discrimination against Muslims in terms of policies as well as social practices. This situation should be known by all. We are respectful of their beliefs and never argue about these beliefs with them. We simply accept them as they are, but what we receive in return is really not an equal level of tolerance,” he said with frustration. Nafiye Erten, 55, a housewife, said she completely agreed with Bayar and added that there are very few reasons to believe that the EU is neutral to the adherents of all religions.
A civil servant, 52, and a worker, 34, who preferred to remain anonymous, argued that the EU's behavior toward Muslims in the Balkans is partial and unfair. “They are trying to teach us about civilization, but they themselves should first practice what they preach,” said the civil servant as the worker added: “It is certainly an act of discrimination. If the EU does not agree with this, then they have all the means necessary to clarify what their real purpose was, what the reasons were behind their decision. The situation deserves at least a special address from the [European] Commission.”
Another civil servant, who also spoke on condition of anonymity and declined to give his age, asserted that the Europeans are confused about the identity of the EU, too. “The EU is an ongoing project, and policymakers are still trying to construct an identity for this economic union. However, their references are clear neither for those ‘big heads' nor for the Europeans on the street. While all this mess is going on within the bloc, Muslims have reason to believe that they [Europeans] not only align themselves with Christianity, but also define Muslims as an ‘other' for them. Unfortunately, the important relations between Turkey and the EU suffer due to the confusion within the EU along with many other things,” he said, adding that “the EU has a bigger responsibility, first to mature and operate in line with its own principles, and then to introduce itself to the Muslim world as a model so that misperceptions do not prevail, unless this is what the EU wants in the first place.”
Benzer Haberler 
Diplomacy
