14. Africa, the Islamic World, and Europe

Chapter 14 argues that, since the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on America and the subsequent USA invasion of Iraq, there has been a violent struggle for life, dignity, democracy, and Islamic statehood in many Arab countries, which has had serious consequences for both Africa and Europe. The author uses Dominique Moisi’s geopolitics of emotions as a framework for his analysis, identifying a general fear of the “Arab implosion”, and discusses Europe’s dilemma in creating the promise of a better life through political reforms, given the current problems associated with unemployment, climate change, and migration coming from Africa. The chapter brings to the fore the real fears of Europe, in as much that it has again redrawn the map of Africa to protect its own.