While Europe is agog over a feared possible Muslim takeover, embodied in the myth of Eurabia, the US, on the other hand, ‘has no reason to fear terrorism from its own Muslim population.’ This is for the reason that ‘American Muslims are far less vulnerable to al-Qaeda recruitment than their brethren across the pond because they’re much better integrated—culturally and economically.’

It seems that some analysts surmise that Islamic religious extremism does not have a fertile ground in the United States. Perhaps, this is because the economic terrain is not conducive to the root cause of extremism which is rebellion against poverty and economic degradation. That is why the likes of Nidal Hasan will be characteristically unique cases. US Muslims are observed to be well-integrated and ‘devout capitalists,’ making US homegrown Islamic terrorism not a threat.

On the other hand, terrorist groups find a perfect recruitment environment and atmosphere in Europe. In Spain, ‘Muslim immigrants arrive poor and stay poor.’ In France, a ‘hijab ban fuels resentment.’ In Germany, ‘anti-Muslim prejudice hinders mosque-building.’ European governments are said to neither especially understand nor seriously sympathize with Muslims.

The US is ‘a society much more comfortable with both immigration and religiosity.’ It is a place where ‘most Muslims are mainstream, middle-class, patriotic, and, in many cases, happy: 38% are satisfied with the state of the US, compared to 32% of the general population.’

These are the reasons why US home-grown Islamic terrorism may not be considered a threat. The country’s ‘free and prosperous Muslim population’ remains its ‘most effective deterrent against Islamic terrorism.’

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Via The Atlantic