Given that I am among the people whose more attractive appearance itself, stemming from the intellect and personality behind it, has become a problem for a significant part of society in a certain country around me, I am interested in the security of certain countries.
First of all, in my opinion, if a society is described as economically and culturally more advanced, while someone’s appearance alone becomes a problem, this claim appears to be untrue. Secondly, statements about safety for ordinary people in general are also misleading.
Because of these experiences, my experiences with other European countries, and statistical data, I was once again struck by the following statement:
“I know, and I think your people know as well, that the Czech Republic is the safest country in Europe and definitely one of the safest countries for people from Israel. And the reason is completely clear: we simply do not have any migrants from Islamic countries here.”
The statement was widely quoted by Czech media as part of appearance at a joint press conference with the Israeli Foreign Minister.
There are several false claims in this quote. First, the Czech Republic is not the safest country in Europe. It is not even among the top ten safest countries in Europe. Secondly, in my opinion, based on my experience as an “Aussie,” the Czech Republic does not necessarily have to be considered a safe country for Israelis, just as it may not be safe for people of Muslim origin or people of any other background. Thirdly, there are more countries in Europe that are safer than the Czech Republic, and their general populations include people from Islamic countries. One example is the Netherlands, and Switzerland is also among the top ten safest countries in Europe.
My examples of the Netherlands and Switzerland show that countries with a significantly higher proportion of residents with a migration background can also be very safe. The decisive factors are primarily the functioning of institutions and the structure of society.
I could also mention that, due to “shortcomings” in the country mentioned above, I have experienced smiles and positive attitudes toward me from people of Muslim background as well, for example in the Netherlands. Therefore, someone could even argue that one may feel safer among these communities, just as the Netherlands or Switzerland itself is also statistically a safer country than Czechia.
