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The radical Islamic threat to Europe.
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Secularists often look at the relatively conservative American culture and their hearts fill with disillusionment. But we also look at Europe’s open and irreligious societies and we see light at the end of the tunnel. If it happened in Europe, the U.S. will eventually follow. Unfortunately, liberals, with their unabashed acceptance and tolerance, may be to the detriment of European progress. The influx of unassimilated Muslim immigrants to Europe is slowly becoming a hurdle in the way of European social progress. Make no mistake, I’m not anti-immigration. I myself am an immigrant, and I believe diversity enriches and strengthens all cultures. But if in the name of tolerance we must compromise our principles, then tolerance be damned. If backwardness is the price of diversity, then the price is too high. Experts lament the rise of right-wing nationalist groups in Europe. But the development is not surprising. The backlash against leftist governments is partly a product of the economic recession. But economy serves more to explain the rise of right-of-center conservatives and less the emergence of radical nationalists.
The murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh, the violent uprisings over Danish cartoons, attacks on Jewish places of worship in France, and countless other incidents are well known to most readers. But these are not isolated events. After the expulsion of European colonial powers from the Muslim world, a large number of Muslims migrated to Europe. That was in a time when Islamic fundamentalism was rare, and Muslims were generally moderate and largely indifferent. Those Arabs and Muslims assimilated into the Western culture and became and integral part of its development. Not many would consider Albert Camus, the great French philosopher, a non-Western foreigner, despite being of Arab descent. But many of the recent Muslim immigrants to Europe care not for existentialism or secularism. They viciously attack Western ideals as immoral and seek to undermine European laws and enforce theirs.
In the most striking example of things to come, British government, a year ago, sanctioned the use of Sharia Law courts in civil matters such as inheritance and divorce. In case the reader is not familiar with Islamic Law on the matter; a man divorces his wife for any reason simply by uttering the words “you’re divorced.” In matters of inheritance, a man receives twice the share of a woman. We must keep in mind that Muslims make up a small minority of European population. With the current birthrate of Europeans compared to that of Muslims, it won’t be long before Muslims form a sizable portion of the population. Let’s hope for a major transformation in Muslim mentality before that day comes.
Meanwhile, Europe would be wise to follow Danish and Norwegian restrictions on immigration. With time and effort, European Muslims should adopt European norms and customs. If Europe keeps its relaxed immigration policies, and if immigrant ghettos like ones in Paris continue to grow, then I fear the outcome will be most saddening.
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