I think the Polish like holding up the Turks as an enemy because they are the last group of people the Poles actually defeated. Can't really talk down about the Germans and Russians when they thrice conquered your people in the time after the Turks fled Vienna. Poles are my favorite Eastern European by the way. And not just because they are Catholic. Polish Americans are a pretty down to Earth group and their women are cute and friendly.uziq wrote:
i wouldn't say you're really mistaken, there is indeed a very vocal minority who spend a lot of effort getting very mad about that.
the far-right in places like poland is forever going on about the ottomans, blah blah. there's that residual underlayer of 'crusader' imagery and 'clash of civilizations' rhetoric, as if vienna might fall if erdogan's turkey accedes to the economic union.
but yeah, i would say in general that turkish people are settled widely all over europe and aren't perceived as like a dangerous or radical-extremist 'other'. most of the islamic fundamentalists that cause trouble in the west are from ex-colonies or the arab nations.
What specific regions are Euro-Arabs from? France and Algeria is obvious. But are there many Egyptians? I deal with a lot of Egyptian and respect their culture and history. In America they are mostly low income and Coptic. But I assume even the Muslim ones have a worldview proud of their land's history of civilization and influence. Meanwhile the Arabian Peninsula has this and nothing else.
