Europe’s refugee policy is disastrous and chaotic, prominent philosopher Slavoj Žižek told RT, adding that the EU must control migrant flows and get to the root of the Middle East crisis by recognizing its key “components”: Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.

Žižek, who is known for frankly expressing his views on acute social subjects, is an author, a professor at the European Graduate School, a senior researcher at the University of Ljubljana’s Institute of Sociology, and the International Director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities at the University of London’s Birkbeck College.

In an exclusive interview with RT, Žižek argued that one of the biggest problems with Europe’s immigration policy is that it is pursued from a neo-colonial perspective that focuses on so-called “white man’s burden” and “guilt.”

However, he added that it would be wrong to blame Europe for all of the problems in the Middle East and to assume that refugees are blind victims who bear no responsibility in the crisis.

“I think this reduction of the other to an impotent, blind victim, who doesn’t have any responsibility, is another version of what in colonialist times was called white man’s burden,” Žižek explained. “Those who pretend to be the most open to migrants or refugees really treat them in an openly racist, patronizing way.”

According to Žižek, Europe should “fundamentally” change its outlook and avoid the “trap of self-pitying.”

“Isn’t the very fact that millions want to go to Europe prove that people still see something in Europe,” he noted, stressing that he supports the idea of a united Europe, but not the “anonymous Brussels European democracy.”

“The problem with Europe is not democratic deficit, but a deficit of a political force that knows what it wants.”

Europeans need to “raise questions” and realize that Muslims are dealing with many internal problems, including radicalization by groups like Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), as well as the sectarian Sunni-Shia divide.


‘New axis of evil’?

Moreover, Žižek argued that external forces in the ongoing Middle Eastern conflicts must be taken into account. He pointed to what he branded as “a new axis of evil” in the region, claiming that its main “components” are Turkey, Israel, and Saudi Arabia.

“We now know that Israel and Saudi Arabia openly collaborate on security issues, secret policy, military and so on. This new front is against mostly their Shia opponents. This is a crucial fact and is the source of the problems.”

Žižek blamed Europe for readily opening its borders to refugees at a time when rich Gulf Arab states are accepting “practically none.”

“What about the very rich Arab countries, very much richer than Europe, which are closer to the crisis area, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates? These are Sunni countries. Most of the refugees are Sunni Muslims.”

Meanwhile, Turkey, which has been receiving refugees, is at the same time “ruthlessly” following its own agenda in the crisis, he said.

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