Anti-Western sentiment
Encyclopedia
Anti-Western sentiment refers to broad opposition or hostility to the people, policies, or governments in the western world
. In many cases the United States
, Israël
and the United Kingdom
are the subject of discussion or hostility. Other countries are targetted as well, like Switzerland
for its minaret ban
, Denmark
for the Muhammad cartoons incident
or the France
for its policy on headscarves. Broad anti-Western sentiment exists in the Muslim world
. Anti-Western sentiment occurs in many in other countries, such as China
an Russia
.
and The Netherlands is hostile to the society they live in, and sympathetic to terrorism
.
In Amsterdam's secondary schools, about half the Moroccan
minority does not identify with The Netherlands: they see their identity as 'Muslim', and regularly express anti-Western views but, nevertheless, do not want to return to their historical homeland.
An ICM opinion poll indicates that a fifth of the British Muslims have sympathy with the 'feelings and motives' of the suicide bombers who attacked London on July 7, 2005. Overall, the findings depict a Muslim community becoming more radical and feeling more alienated from mainstream society. Four out of 10 British Muslims even want sharia law introduced into parts of the country.
On the morning of 11 March 2004, an al-Qaeda
train bombing killed 191 people and wounded 1,800 in Madrid
, Spain
.
In the early morning of 2 November 2004, in Amsterdam, Mohammed Bouyeri
of the Islamist Hofstad Network
murdered film director and Islam-critic Theo van Gogh
.
On 7 July 2005, militants detonated bombs in three on London Underground
trains and one double-decker bus in Tavistock Square. 56 people, including four bombers, were killed by the attacks, and about 700 were injured. The attacks are known as 7/7 or the 7 July 2005 London bombings
.
On October 27, 2005, Danish police arrested four al-Tawhid students in Glostrup
on charges of terrorism, in connection to the arrests in Bosnia of Abdulkadir Cesur and Mirsad Bektasevic
(AKA Maximus). A jury found all four guilty of planning terror attacks on december 6th, 2006, but on februari 15th, 2007 the verdict was overturned by a panel of judges overturned for three of the suspects, due to insufficient evidence. On of the arrestants however, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
On February 3, 2006 protests outside the Danish Embassy in London
, were dominated by threatening signs, speeching and chanting. Through a megaphone
speeches included "You have declared war against Allah and his prophet. You have declared war against the Muslim Ummah! For which you will pay a heavy price. Take lesson of Theo van Gogh. Take lesson of the Jews of Khalbar! Take lessons from the examples that you can see! For you will pay with your blood!". A furious protester chanted "Jihad in the name of Allah, death to you by God! May Allah bomb you! May Usama Bin Laden bomb you! We love you Usama! Bomb Denmark, so we can invade their country and take their wives as war booty!" Many protesters carried threat signs, including Jihad against European crusaders, Europe, you will pay, your annihilation is on it's way!!!, Annihilate those who insult Islam!!! and Europe you will pay. Mujihadeen are on their way. Nobody at the rally was arrested, even though British law forbids incitement to murder.
On June 30, 2007, two men executed a terrorist attack
by driving a car loaded with propane canisters into the glass doors of the Glasgow International Airport. It has been reported that their motive was to avenge the death of a friend killed in the Iraq War by a Shia death squad, hate against the West over Palestine, and that he had been radicalized by the teachings of al-Qaeda
and al-Zarqawi.
On September 4, 2007, Danish police and intelligence forces prevented an alleged bomb plot
in Copenhagen by militant Islamists.
On 11 December 2010, the 2010 Stockholm bombings
took place. Two bombs exploded in central Stockholm
, killing the bomber and injuring two others. About ten minutes before the explosions, a threatening email was sent to the Swedish Security Service
and the Swedish news agency Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå
(TT). The letter referred in particular to the presence of Swedish troops in Afghanistan
and the Swedish artist Lars Vilks
' drawings
of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
as a roundabout dog
.
On December 29, 2010, five militant Islamists were arrested for planning an imminent attack
. They were charged with attempted terrorism and unlawful possession of weapons. Their plan was possibly a response to the 2005-2006 Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
.
and the 2008 film The Third Jihad
show extensive Arab
and Iran
ian television footage on anti-Western sentiment.
has been increasing since the early 1990s, particularly amongst the Chinese youth. Notable incidents which have resulted in a significant anti-Western backlash have included the 1999 NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade
, the 2008 demonstrations during the Olympic torch relay and alleged Western media bias, especially in relation to the March 2008 Tibet riots
. Whilst available public opinion polls show that the Chinese hold generally favourable views towards United States
, there remains suspicion over the West's motives towards China stemming largely from historical experiences and specifically the 'century of humiliation
'. These suspicions have been increased by the Communist Party's "Patriotic Education Campaign".
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
. In many cases the United States
Anti-Americanism
The term Anti-Americanism, or Anti-American Sentiment, refers to broad opposition or hostility to the people, policies, culture or government of the United States...
, Israël
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
are the subject of discussion or hostility. Other countries are targetted as well, like Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
for its minaret ban
Minaret controversy in Switzerland
The minaret controversy in Switzerland refers to construction of minarets, which has been subject to legal and political controversy in Switzerland during the 2000s and a Swiss referendum regarding this issue. In a November 2009 referendum, a constitutional amendment banning the construction of new...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
for the Muhammad cartoons incident
Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
or the France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
for its policy on headscarves. Broad anti-Western sentiment exists in the Muslim world
Muslim world
The term Muslim world has several meanings. In a religious sense, it refers to those who adhere to the teachings of Islam, referred to as Muslims. In a cultural sense, it refers to Islamic civilization, inclusive of non-Muslims living in that civilization...
. Anti-Western sentiment occurs in many in other countries, such as China
Anti-Western sentiment in China
Anti-Western sentiment in China has been increasing since the early 1990s, particularly amongst the Chinese youth. Notable incidents which have resulted in a significant anti-Western backlash have included the 1999 NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, the 2008 demonstrations during the...
an Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Europe
Part of the Muslim community in BritainUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and The Netherlands is hostile to the society they live in, and sympathetic to terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
.
In Amsterdam's secondary schools, about half the Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
minority does not identify with The Netherlands: they see their identity as 'Muslim', and regularly express anti-Western views but, nevertheless, do not want to return to their historical homeland.
An ICM opinion poll indicates that a fifth of the British Muslims have sympathy with the 'feelings and motives' of the suicide bombers who attacked London on July 7, 2005. Overall, the findings depict a Muslim community becoming more radical and feeling more alienated from mainstream society. Four out of 10 British Muslims even want sharia law introduced into parts of the country.
Terrorism, assassinations and threats
Europe is being targeted by a series of anti-Western terrorist attacks and political murders.On the morning of 11 March 2004, an al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
train bombing killed 191 people and wounded 1,800 in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
In the early morning of 2 November 2004, in Amsterdam, Mohammed Bouyeri
Mohammed Bouyeri
Mohammed Bouyeri is an Islamist Dutch–Moroccan and convicted murderer. He is currently serving a life sentence without parole for the assassination of Dutch film director Theo van Gogh. He holds both Dutch and Moroccan citizenship...
of the Islamist Hofstad Network
Hofstad Network
The Hofstad Network is an Islamist group of mostly young Dutch Muslims of mainly Moroccan ancestry.The name "Hofstad" was originally the codename the Dutch secret service AIVD used for a set of individuals and leaked to the media...
murdered film director and Islam-critic Theo van Gogh
Theo van Gogh (film director)
Theodoor "Theo" van Gogh was a Dutch film director, film producer, columnist, author and actor.Van Gogh worked with the Somali-born writer Ayaan Hirsi Ali to produce the film Submission, which criticized the treatment of women in Islam and aroused controversy among Muslims...
.
On 7 July 2005, militants detonated bombs in three on London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
trains and one double-decker bus in Tavistock Square. 56 people, including four bombers, were killed by the attacks, and about 700 were injured. The attacks are known as 7/7 or the 7 July 2005 London bombings
7 July 2005 London bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
.
On October 27, 2005, Danish police arrested four al-Tawhid students in Glostrup
Glostrup
Glostrup Kommune is a suburban municipality and town in Region Hovedstaden on the island of Zealand approx. 10 km west of Copenhagen in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 13 km², and has a total population of 20,673 . Its Zip code is 2600...
on charges of terrorism, in connection to the arrests in Bosnia of Abdulkadir Cesur and Mirsad Bektasevic
Mirsad Bektaševic
Mirsad Bektašević , alias Maximus, is a Swede of Bosniak descent who in 2005 was arrested in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, charged with planning a terrorist attack against an unnamed target...
(AKA Maximus). A jury found all four guilty of planning terror attacks on december 6th, 2006, but on februari 15th, 2007 the verdict was overturned by a panel of judges overturned for three of the suspects, due to insufficient evidence. On of the arrestants however, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
On February 3, 2006 protests outside the Danish Embassy in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, were dominated by threatening signs, speeching and chanting. Through a megaphone
Megaphone
A megaphone, speaking-trumpet, bullhorn, blowhorn, or loud hailer is a portable, usually hand-held, cone-shaped horn used to amplify a person’s voice or other sounds towards a targeted direction. This is accomplished by channelling the sound through the megaphone, which also serves to match the...
speeches included "You have declared war against Allah and his prophet. You have declared war against the Muslim Ummah! For which you will pay a heavy price. Take lesson of Theo van Gogh. Take lesson of the Jews of Khalbar! Take lessons from the examples that you can see! For you will pay with your blood!". A furious protester chanted "Jihad in the name of Allah, death to you by God! May Allah bomb you! May Usama Bin Laden bomb you! We love you Usama! Bomb Denmark, so we can invade their country and take their wives as war booty!" Many protesters carried threat signs, including Jihad against European crusaders, Europe, you will pay, your annihilation is on it's way!!!, Annihilate those who insult Islam!!! and Europe you will pay. Mujihadeen are on their way. Nobody at the rally was arrested, even though British law forbids incitement to murder.
On June 30, 2007, two men executed a terrorist attack
2007 Glasgow International Airport attack
The 2007 Glasgow International Airport attack was a terrorist attack which occurred on Saturday 30 June 2007, at 15:11 BST, when a dark green Jeep Cherokee loaded with propane canisters was driven into the glass doors of the Glasgow International Airport terminal and set ablaze...
by driving a car loaded with propane canisters into the glass doors of the Glasgow International Airport. It has been reported that their motive was to avenge the death of a friend killed in the Iraq War by a Shia death squad, hate against the West over Palestine, and that he had been radicalized by the teachings of al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
and al-Zarqawi.
On September 4, 2007, Danish police and intelligence forces prevented an alleged bomb plot
Alleged 2007 bomb plot in Copenhagen
On September 4, 2007 eight people suspected of planning a terror attack were arrested by armed Danish police officers and Security Intelligence Service agents in several coordinated actions throughout the greater Copenhagen area....
in Copenhagen by militant Islamists.
On 11 December 2010, the 2010 Stockholm bombings
2010 Stockholm bombings
The 2010 Stockholm bombings occurred on 11 December 2010 when two bombs exploded in central Stockholm, Sweden, killing the bomber and injuring two people. Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt and the Swedish Security Service described the bombings as acts of terrorism.Taimour Abdulwahab...
took place. Two bombs exploded in central Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, killing the bomber and injuring two others. About ten minutes before the explosions, a threatening email was sent to the Swedish Security Service
Swedish Security Service
The Swedish Security Service , former name Rikspolisstyrelsens säkerhetsavdelning , is the security service of Sweden, belonging to the Swedish National Police Board....
and the Swedish news agency Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå
Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå
Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå – The Newspapers' Telegram Bureau – is a Swedish news agency, the largest in Scandinavia, owned jointly by the country's newspapers and the media groups behind them. TT's services are used as the exclusive source of national news by many local media outlets...
(TT). The letter referred in particular to the presence of Swedish troops in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and the Swedish artist Lars Vilks
Lars Vilks
Lars Endel Roger Vilks is a Swedish artist. He is best known for his drawings of Muhammed, prophet of Islam.- Personal background :...
' drawings
Lars Vilks Muhammad drawings controversy
The Lars Vilks Muhammad drawings controversy began in July 2007 with a series of drawings by Swedish artist Lars Vilks that depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad as a roundabout dog . Several art galleries in Sweden declined to show the drawings, citing security concerns and fear of violence...
of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
as a roundabout dog
Roundabout dog
A roundabout dog is a form of street installation, that began occurring in the autumn of 2006, and continued for the rest of the year with sporadic occurrences since then. The phenomenon consists of anonymous people placing homemade dog sculptures, typically made of wood in roundabouts...
.
On December 29, 2010, five militant Islamists were arrested for planning an imminent attack
December 2010 Copenhagen terror plot
The December 2010 Copenhagen terror plot was a terrorist plot against Jyllands-Posten, the controversial publisher of the cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in 2005.-Background:...
. They were charged with attempted terrorism and unlawful possession of weapons. Their plan was possibly a response to the 2005-2006 Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
.
Muslim world
The 2005 documentary film ObsessionObsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West
Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West, also called Obsession, is a 2005 documentary film about the perceived threat of radical Islam to Western civilization. Using extensive Arab television footage it claims to give an 'insider's view' of the hatred preached by radicals to incite global...
and the 2008 film The Third Jihad
The Third Jihad
The Third Jihad: Radical Islam's Vision For America is a documentary film made by Wayne Kopping on the subject of radical Islam in present day United States.- Production :...
show extensive Arab
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian television footage on anti-Western sentiment.
China
Anti-Western sentiment in ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
has been increasing since the early 1990s, particularly amongst the Chinese youth. Notable incidents which have resulted in a significant anti-Western backlash have included the 1999 NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade
NATO Bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade
On May 7, 1999, during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia , five US JDAM bombs hit the People's Republic of China embassy in the Belgrade district of New Belgrade, killing three Chinese reporters and outraging the Chinese public. President Bill Clinton later apologized for the bombing, stating it was...
, the 2008 demonstrations during the Olympic torch relay and alleged Western media bias, especially in relation to the March 2008 Tibet riots
2008 Tibetan unrest
The 2008 Tibetan unrest, also known from its Chinese name as the 3•14 Riots, was a series of riots, protests, and demonstrations that started in Tibetan regional capital of Lhasa and spread to other Tibetan areas and a number of monasteries including outside the Tibet Autonomous Region...
. Whilst available public opinion polls show that the Chinese hold generally favourable views towards United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, there remains suspicion over the West's motives towards China stemming largely from historical experiences and specifically the 'century of humiliation
Century of humiliation
The century of humiliation , also referred to as the century of national humiliation, the hundred years of humiliation, and similar permutations...
'. These suspicions have been increased by the Communist Party's "Patriotic Education Campaign".