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BRUSSELS, Belgium — A clash of civilizations may be taking place on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, but it's also happening a lot more quietly in European cities.
Old Europe's population is dwindling even as immigration and high birth rates among Muslim groups are swelling in cities all over the continent.
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Although there are no official statistics on how many Muslims live in Brussels, it is believed they make up about 25 percent of the city’s 1 million urban residents. Dewinter, who opposes immigration and has called Islamophobia a "duty," claims three of the 19 sections of Brussels, each with its own mayor, now have Muslim majorities.
"In those neighborhoods it's not our government that's in power," he said, "but the Muslim authorities — the mosques, the imams — who are in charge."
FOX News visited one of those neighborhoods, called Molenbeek, which looks more like North Africa than the heart of Europe.
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Though the immigration debate has not yet reached the fever pitch it has in the U.S., a real test will come when a major European city has a Muslim majority. The first could be Marseilles, in France, or Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. But don't count out Brussels, the heart and capital of Europe.
these are a few pieces from a long article which you can read in full by clicking on the link above...
Talking about muslim immigration to Europe always leads to a discussion of assimilation and multi-culturalism. It's the whole melting pot vs salad bowl discussion. The fact is the United States has done a much better job of assimilating new immigrants and their offsprings into mainstream society. Why is that? I don't know for sure. My opinion is that American culture is much better at absorbing and adapting to different groups. The motto of our country is e pluribus unum (even though it is really referring to several States forming a Union).
Talking about muslim immigration to Europe always leads to a discussion of assimilation and multi-culturalism. It's the whole melting pot vs salad bowl discussion. The fact is the United States has done a much better job of assimilating new immigrants and their offsprings into mainstream society. Why is that? I don't know for sure. My opinion is that American culture is much better at absorbing and adapting to different groups. The motto of our country is e pluribus unum (even though it is really referring to several States forming a Union).
America did a "good job" assimilating those who wanted to be assimilated. However, little can be done if the immigrants object it and that's what's happening today in the US and Europe.
Europe made their biggest mistake opening the gates, letting millions to flood their countries. Today, neither the native Europeans, nor the new immigrants are happy with the result.
What is wrong with Muslim populations swells? It isn't like all of them are radical terrorists.. They have just as much of a right to enjoy life as the rest of Europe. I do understand that cultural/social class issues are a lot more prominent and divisive in Europe, but come on!
Those Muslim populations in Europe didn't spring up overnight. Most of them originated in the Europeans' desire to avoid manual labor--so they brought in poor people who were willing to work for radically less pay. Now those people have established themselves in the various countries and--who would have imagined?--they're suddenly not so welcome any more.
America did a "good job" assimilating those who wanted to be assimilated. However, little can be done if the immigrants object it and that's what's happening today in the US and Europe.
Europe made their biggest mistake opening the gates, letting millions to flood their countries. Today, neither the native Europeans, nor the new immigrants are happy with the result.
I totally agree, and have been 'hammering this home' for months now. Before you give in to the naive dream of 'multiculturalism',and get carried away with thoughts of how 'neat' it would be, you MIGHT want to check out your prospective new 'fellow travelers'....and, at the very LEAST, it would be a REALLY good idea to figure out whether those you're so eager to 'embrace', and whose culture you find SO fascinating, are eager to embrace YOU...and whether they find YOUR culture worthwhile.
If you DO such a check, and find out that the answer is "no", perhaps it would be better to keep people out, than to let them IN, and then find out that they hate you.
You'd THINK this would be common sense...(but then, you might be wrong)..
Talking about muslim immigration to Europe always leads to a discussion of assimilation and multi-culturalism. It's the whole melting pot vs salad bowl discussion. The fact is the United States has done a much better job of assimilating new immigrants and their offsprings into mainstream society. Why is that? I don't know for sure. My opinion is that American culture is much better at absorbing and adapting to different groups. The motto of our country is e pluribus unum (even though it is really referring to several States forming a Union).
America is good at assimilating culturally dissident minorities when they arrive in small numbers, eg: Asians, Arabs, Indians. Had we received an amount of Muslim immigrants in similar proportions to our population as European countries do, we'd face the same problems.
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