[lit-ideas] Re: Fukuyama's view of the Islamist threat
- From: "Judith Evans" <judithevans1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2006 17:50:45 +0100
LH>Muslims aren't going to Europe to be infected by the virus of
LH>Western culture (which seems to be largely true of Muslims coming to
LH>the U.S.) but instead are retaining their culture and living in enclaves.
The UK is one of the most integrated countries in the world, with no ghettos
and no-go areas
of the kind seen in the US. I believe the explanation for the relative
success of
the US in as-it-were psychologically integrating Muslims and others is
different
and explained here (**I would add to its account, your cherry-picking
immigration policy**; and FYI, what is said here of the US is in many ways
true -- Arabs will tell you -- of the UK; a man from Dubai was talking about
that on TV the other day):
>Ihsan Alkhatib, a Michigan lawyer who is deeply involved in
> civil rights issues, believes that the U.S. government's policy of
> tolerance and acceptance is largely responsible for the successful
> integration of Arab Americans and Muslims into American society.
>These groups are successful economically, with above-average
education and income levels --
>Alkhatib sees a large contrast between the economic status
>of Muslims in the United States and Europe.
>"In Europe the picture is bleak," he said. "A significant proportion
>of European Arabs are Muslims, and they are worse off economically
>and educationally than the rest of society."
>He said acceptance of Muslims into the larger society is the key
>to helping to improving their social condition in Europe.
>"Europe has to understand that once you open the door for guest
> workers, human beings come. Acceptance and integration come
>hand in hand," Alkhatib said.
>"As long as Muslims in Europe are thought of as guests and
>European countries think of themselves as not immigration countries,
>there are going to be problems," he added.
>In the United States, he said, there are laws that bar discrimination,
>"and the emphasis [is] on diversity. Discrimination in employment
>is very costly for employers in the U.S."
http://usinfo.state.gov/eur/Archive/2005/Sep/07-600416.html
Judy Evans, Cardiff
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