Author’s note. This is a sequel to a previous column entitled The Qadhi Syndrome

(https://tribune.net.ph/2024/03/22/the-qadhi-syndrome).

Whereas in the past, Islam historically spread gradually through conquests and missionaries, which took centuries, today it is rapidly spreading through mass migrations from hunger and wars in just a matter of years.

The social situation in the West — in particular, the UK, EU, and US — is evolving rapidly, namely, the rise of Islam in the West, first through mass migration, followed by the voting of Islamic leaders into key political positions.

For example, here is a list of current mayors in the UK picked up recently on social media, which is subject to further verification. The current mayors of the following cities and towns in the UK are reportedly Muslim — London, Birmingham, Leeds, Blackburn, Sheffield, Oxford, Luton, Oldham, Rochdale.

This implies that the voting population is predominantly Muslim. This is perhaps the tip of the iceberg, if a survey is properly conducted. There are a mere four million Muslims in the UK out of a current population of 66 million, yet they are making dents in demography. If the shift in demographics and the electorate tips the scales towards Muslim politicians, it may create social instability.

Here are some recent events, again from social media, subject to verification. The current councilor in Leeds screaming Allahu Akbar (Allah is great) is seen in a video being congratulated by a crowd of joyous Muslims. In Bradford, a video of a Muslim who won in the elections, because they were the majority, is celebrated by a Muslim crowd.

In the US, the universities are becoming scenes of Muslim rallies. In Hamilton Hall of the prestigious Columbia University in New York City, the New York Police Department (NYPD) discovered a variety of “protest weapons” — gas masks, ear plugs, helmets, goggles, hammers, knives, rope and a book on terrorism, after the arrest of protesters for commandeering and barricading themselves inside the building.

A New York Times columnist together with Professor Frank Bruni raised concerns recently that college students today were starting to view the world as two rival camps — the oppressed and the oppressor.

And both camps view the other camp as the oppressor, spawning a deadly culture of hate among the youth. Bruni fears that this has become the basis for support for Palestinians which is evolving to support for Hamas. Bruni views Palestinian self-determination as separate from support for Hamas.

There is thus a polarization evolving between the pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli camps intensifying on many university campuses all over the US and the UK, a potential for violent confrontations in the streets, anarchy and urban-based civil war.

The key to peace is two-fold. First is to achieve a culture of peace, which seems unattainable, considering the above events. Second is to avoid the culture of hate from growing further, which seems equally unattainable.

It must be clarified that there is today a giant splinter in the Muslim world that started right after the death of its founder, Mohammed, namely, between the Shiites, which was started by the relatives of Mohammed, and the Sunnis, which was started by his non-relative inner core. This has a critical effect on polarizations in the looming Middle East war, which is invisible to some Western observers.