Islam might be a part of their "identity", but this rioting hasn't arisen out of their Islamic beliefs, that's for damn sure. Look, I'm far from being a cultural relativist, and I've been only too willing to unambiguously voice my dislike of Islam in a most un-PC tone. But I just don't see any reason to link these riots to Islam. Look, I "know" these people. These riots have brought back many "memories" for me. If this was 10 years ago, I would probably have been on the streets myself, "expressing" my "rage". I've never been a Muslim, but I am an immigrant, and my friends were immigrant Arab "Muslims" (well, 2nd and 3rd gen), and I know firsthand what it can feel like. I'm not "justifying" them - they are wrong, in both what they feel and what they do, but apart from self-identifying as "Muslim" there is virtually nothing Islamic about their behavior: they drink alcohol, pick up chicks, befriend Christians (against which there is a Koranic injunction) and (on occasion) eat pork among other "non-Islamic" behavior, and neither do they have "Islamic goals". You've got to separate the Islamic extremists who don't do the above and do have Islamic goals from "Muslims" who are having trouble fitting into society. If you don't, you're as bad as Robert Spencer. (I have totally lost patience with that guy.) If you want to say, look immigrants from Muslim cultures are hard (or harder) to integrate, fine. I'll agree wholeheartedly. To me, all non western immigrants are hard to integrate. Doing so takes time. The biggest reason America was able to integrate the vast numbers of early 20th cent immigrants was the 50 (or so) years in which immigration was brought to a virtual standstill. If you want to say we need another moratorium, fine, I'm with you. But it's a mistake to read "Islam" into every problem a Muslim might bring.
Looks like the Nostradamus predictions are coming true. The Moors would set the centre of Europe alight. The final struggle between evil and Christianity has begun. Cannot say that there was no warning. :eek:
Shouldn't that be "demain soir"? None of this takes place during the day, does it? (Are you actually in France?)
=============== Interesting , its not being blamed on Pres, Bush. Frankly FRANCE should call the gov of Texas, not US fed gov; Texas Rangers have an ad; one riot, one ranger
And that sentence may explain why a non-Western society managed to flourish inside France. It would be interesting to know your take on this article: http://www.danielpipes.org/article/3113 Itâs a short one. Regarding your factoids about immigration populations and the "head scarf ban", Iâm well-aware of them. But if there is a higher percentage of Muslim women wishing to wear headscarves today, than the previous generation, then you have a problem.