It is still a shock to me (though it shouldn’t be) when I read about how women are basically considered non-entities. Wow.

StephC on August 25, 2006 at 11:51 AM

Wow…that last bit was impressive coming from a British Muslim. Even if he DOES work for the government. Hear, hear, Mr. Shahid Malik.

tickleddragon on August 25, 2006 at 12:05 PM

[T]he dangerous argument is the lazy line pedalled by too many politicians that in an Australia or a Canada of evolving immigration patterns, an immigrant from Moldova or China or Brazil or Saudi Arabia can’t be expected to relate to the Queen, to the existing constitutional system…

So when we accept that argument, in essence we’re explicitly promoting the principle of reverse assimilation; that immigration imposes not the obligation that the immigrant assimilate to his new land, but that his new land assimilate to him.

Unproven assumption.

Even within a framework of mutual tolerance, I believe that there are non-negotiable rules, understood by all groups, both new and established. We must be clear and unafraid to say that we expect these will be shared and followed by all who live here.

But my message is: whether you are white, Asian, black, Muslim, Christian or Jew, if you don’t like where you’re living you have two choices: either you live elsewhere, or you engage in the political process, attempt to create change and ultimately respect the will of the majority.

Foregone conclusion.

Hot damn, this is like economics!

THeDRiFTeR on August 25, 2006 at 12:22 PM

This needs to be said loudly and repeatedly, heard everywhere in all nations, and when a Muslim in government says :”if you don’t like where you’re living you have two choices: either you live elsewhere, or you engage in the political process, attempt to create change and ultimately respect the will of the majority, it must be passed around. A grain of hope.

shooter on August 25, 2006 at 12:49 PM

Drifter, regarding your comment on August 25, 2006 at 12:22 PM, Mark Steyn’s phrasing, “in essence we’re explicitly promoting the principle of reverse assimilation,” was poorly chosen, but it appears he wasn’t reading from a manuscript. Whether you make allowances for extemporaneity or not, it’s still up to the reader to interpret well. Our populaces appear to be on course for assimilation, or worse, over the next few decades, whether one explicitly promotes it or flippantly pans it.

Europe, Great Britain, Canada, and the United States have low birth rates and are receiving muslim immigrants in large, though varying, proportion to their respective numbers. If the reports are accurate, that they’re not assimilating their immigrants, then they’re being colonized, and they’re on course to be either “reverse-assimilated” or replaced by the colonists. They’re slouching in the same direction as the American Indians, many of whom probably thought a thousand new, unassimilated palefaces here and there were no big deal.

Kralizec on August 25, 2006 at 2:02 PM

They’re slouching in the same direction as the American Indians(???), many of whom probably thought a thousand new, unassimilated palefaces here and there were no big deal.

Are you suggesting that had the American Indians been more vigilant, they may have reversed their fortunes, kept the colonial powers out and retained “their land” (a concept, that of private property that didn’t exist in pre columbian america)?

And before I get an onslaught of attacks on my character, sanity or patriotism, I am not suggesting that a lack of vigilence or selective immigration couldn’t change the demographic trends in the afore mentioned countries, ie Canda, Britain etc… The real question is, is that desirable?

Allah had it pretty much right yesterday when he stated in an urelated post that the key is in education.

THeDRiFTeR on August 25, 2006 at 2:18 PM

…were you not a U.S. citizen (assuming that you are) this could be a “foregone conclusion” for you too.

I do retain my US citizenship, although, and it may be comforting to you Entelechy, I do “live elsewhere”. My beautiful wife is a french national, so we live in France.

THeDRiFTeR on August 25, 2006 at 2:59 PM

Steyn is right on. Lame cultures are lame no matter how you slice it. It’s time we start calling a spade a spade and stop this stupid PC crap.

I wonder what he thinks about the hip hop culture?

Shmo on August 25, 2006 at 3:27 PM

Entelechy and THeDRiFTeR,

To say the key to assimilation is education is correct. However, students must have their minds right to absorb education. Otherwise, the exercise simply drags down the willing students and fowls up the hole show. In some cultures, western education is considered evil and something to resist. I would rather not waste the time on those types. My tent isn’t that big.

Shmo on August 25, 2006 at 4:59 PM

I hate to go off on a rant but there are alot of people on the left and the right who would absolutely sanction beating people for selling marijuana. And there is a whole lot more people (again left and right) who wouldn’t think twice about sending someone to be raped and beaten in prison for years on end for selling small amounts of marijuana (or any other drugs). They may not not like to consider it but when you send a non-violent drug dealer into a prison with gang members, rapists, murders etc the drug dealer is going to have those things happen to him.

So, in this limited case, what is more humane, five years in prison or 5 shots from a cane? I’d take the cane. Other than our unwillingness to actually execute someone for drug offenses the hysteria and cruelty of the US Government toward drug users and dealers is just as bad as that in fundamentalist muslim countries.

Big E on August 25, 2006 at 6:28 PM