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DOME MOSQUE

Limkos Stamp | 06.05.2016 09:32 | World

The legendary Scythian philosopher Anacharsis when asked, which the safest kind of vessel was, uttered, "That which is brought into dock".



Taking into consideration the current events in the world: terrorist attacks in Belgium and France, sexual bacchanalia in Cologne, and the Syrian involvement of the former head of the Islamic Culture Centre of Latvia who chose it to side with the Islamist militants, it's just the time to place the Latvian political ship into such a dock to escape the refugee challenge.

Coalition parties declaring their different approaches to the aggravating problem stick to the single migration policy actually. The major reason of such a careless treatment of the situation is definitely the composition of the Coalition itself and the relevant distribution of ministerial posts in the Cabinet of Ministers.

The permanent fuss over the distribution of portfolios, the regular restaurant meetings of the "sworn" political rivals (  http://www.baltictimes.com/were_there_any_differences_indeed_/ ), the animal fear that they could reach a deal behind your back - all this really takes too much time indeed to focus on state security issues, and also on the duties outlined for "the servants of the people" in Satversme.

Officially it has been declared that the initiative on refusal to embrace refugees isn't included into the list for the governmental discussion, and only deputy Dombrava hopes the idea will yet gain support in nearest perspective. It's plain clear that the refugee problem was only a tool in the trade during the formation of a new cabinet. The problem just disappeared into nowhere once the Kuchinskis government started working.

I'm fully aware of the economic impact the refusal to accept refugees will entail. But remember the early 90s when we declared our adherence to freedom at any cost. We were set to fall over ourselves to stay free again in our own country, live in it and govern it at last.

The three political forces which are currently making all the decisions in the name of everybody, just according with the democracy standards, are quite unpredictable. You can't be totally sure how exactly they are going to ignore the electorate next time. Once this issue isn't on the agenda of the coalition, as we have already cleared it up, then foreign policy activities, such as support of the anti-Russian sanctions, the demands to isolate Russia, and the assistance to Ukraine, that has made swift movement to become sort of next kin to Baltic states, are much more important now than the inner political steps.

The position of the Greens and Peasants' Union appears to be rather amusing. Despite their political weight (mind that two of three major posts in the country belong to them) the Greens have preferred to have a blind eye on the ongoing events. To all appearance, those Middle East refugees are not going to have any effect on the peasants. It's no brainer actually: the inner threat to Latvia is only due to petitions to join various powers, while the outward one it owes to one of these powers.

The National Union addressed both the Constitutional Court and the Interior Minister demanding to halt the influx of refugees into Latvia but the patriotic voice was quickly drowned by grinding sound of ministerial portfolios and Milda wearing burqa stopped to be the worst nightmare of Raivis Dzintars.

Meanwhile, Solvita Aboltina, her bid for both presidential and prime-minister's chairs failed, is now seeking support not in her political union lacking political landmarks but rather with the nationalists, for the Greens and Peasants' Union has publicly cheated "the pensioners' darling" and her ambitions.

The promise to sort it out quickly has evolved into indifference, which will last till next year municipal elections, I bet you, or, in other words, till next haggling (let the reader forgive me this vulgarity).

We may keep joking about tolerance and who'll enjoy it amid the clash of Muslim and sexual minorities' interests in Europe (in this context who minister Rinkevich is going to side with, I wonder). All in all, Latvian citizens should be fully aware of the reality: the authorities are staying somewhat limp and captivated with their own schemes, and taking some precaution measures is a must under such circumstances.

Sadly enough, those social experiments with the left behind bag in Riga's shopping malls have painfully revealed lack of relevant expertise with the security firms during the last 25 dealing with the shop lifting mainly.
The ordinary citizens of the country seem to have somewhat a vague idea, if any, of what Muslims really are. Their perception is based on knowledge of the former USSR Islamic republics or films at best.

Only few of them are actually able to explain at the first try, the difference between Sunnis and Shiites, and only rare persons understand where the Alawites differ from the Alevites.

When the information isn't available, the negative impact is inevitable just. You may not take my word as gospel; still you should believe my personal experience in the Middle East region. I've been almost to every country of the region, including those being home to our current Muslim guests, and I'm fully aware of the scale of the possible events awaiting this country. If it isn't of any interest for you and you don't see any direct danger threating you and your family in unfulfilled promises of the politicians in this sphere, then just shut your eyes and fancy this is one huge social experiment to be soon ended.

With the referendum on Russian language as the second state one pending, the Latvian rap singer Rays made a propaganda video clip that gained mainstream popularity with more than million viewers in Latvia having population of two million at all. In this, so called song, there was sort of a phrase, "We'll celebrate 9 May, not the Lachplesis Day".

At that time, four years ago all the coalition parties acted as a united alliance to oppose the above mentioned initiative. But do they really understand that very soon they'll have to celebrate Ramadan rather than Easter or Christmas?

Limkos Stamp