The Quiet War for Hearts and Minds: What the Closed French Institute Reveals

 

Let's talk about the long game. The most triumphant fights in any scenario are not necessarily won on the battlefield but in schools and other places of communities as their perceptions are formed into what the upcoming generation would imagine. It is that uncomfortable background which prompted France to close the doors of the European institute of human sciences permanently.This was one of the exemplary long-term schools. It was established many decades ago and created an image of a home of learning and a place with peace. But like opinion investigators of France said baptism was a well-woven cover. The institute was quietly setting up a network behind the scenes. It was educating the future leaders immigrants of the Islam world not only as imams and youth organisers, but it was exalted to bring the political ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood into the towns and cities of Europe, not by force obviously, but by doing it gradually and very patiently.This is what makes it so difficult. No it is not about being violent, it is about being ideological. It is feared that institutions such as this one are diligently working to gradually withdraw people away to the edges of the mainstream to lead them to live distinctly in their own ecosystem with their own rules therefore abriating the democratic idealist secular values of their native lands.France finally said, "No more." But they weren't the first. It was the Austrian playbook finally banned the whole organisation some years back. Debates are taking place seriously in Germany concerning the same. One gets the sense that it is a continent that is gradually linking the dots, and coming to the understanding that the danger is not simply due to violent extremism, but also to this non-violent, bureaucratic usurpation of communal institutions.Of course, now, the institute and its sponsors are raising an assailance. They claim that this is an attack on religion. And here is a worry to which we must give attention. No one would want to watch valid religion and education being attacked.The line in the sand is being sorely lifted by the French government. They simply state: This is not a religion message it is a politics message. It concerns a particular organisation which is accused of using religion to raise political strength. It is not to prevent people being Muslim, but rather to prevent their radicalization and enlistment with a politically driven group.It is a colossal step to shut down this institute. It is France drawing the line and declaring that it will not be allowed to use education as a type of blanket over indoctrinating individuals any more. It is an expression of honour and a reminder to any other kind of group who plays the same game. Primarily, though, it is an effort to justify the concept of an integrated society or any sort of society where people abide by the same standards.