07 Nov 2004
Europeans Face Tough Choices on Islam (AP)

Yep. Tough choices, indeed... they can either impose some serious immigration/cultural restrictions, or face the extinction of the European democratic ideal. Without them, the map could look like this in ten years.

Of course, if they do impose such restrictions, then it could equally be said that the European democratic ideal is dead already. Tough choices ... which must be made. Curiously (for an American, anyway) I think the French are on the right track by banning all religious headgear and outsized emblems: the goal is not to cut religion out of society, but to maintain a secular, tolerant state.

The Middle East has a problem with fundamentalist religion, so does the United States (there are many Christian Reconstructionists active in the current Congress and Administration, including the House Majority Leader, Tom Delay of Texas), even India has it's native fundies. Should these movements succeed, we can expect to see a world where heathens, pagans, atheists, freethinkers are literally endangered species.

AP - Europe's complex interplay with Islam appears to stand at a tipping-point, and the slaying of a Dutchman who made a movie critical of Islam could indicate one direction in which it is headed. "The Muslims say they're scared," said mourner Nicolette Toering. "No, we're scared."

(link) [Yahoo! News: Top Stories]

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