Muslim Europe?
Posted by Rob Longenecker on August 4th, 2007
You are no doubt aware of the large number of Muslims in Europe and the fact that their percentage of the population is growing.
In his blog post in the Brussels Journal Paul Belien writes, “The number of Muslims in contemporary Europe is estimated to be 50 million. It is expected to double in twenty years. By 2025, one third of all European children will be born to Muslim families. Today Mohammed is already the most popular name for new-born boys in Brussels, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and other major European cities.”
If you want to know more, check out Paul’s entire post from last October. It’s thought provoking in many ways.
August 5th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
And what is the big deal? Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. The man in the op-ed article sounds like nothing but a xenophobic racist. Its good that you are helping to expose his hatred and racist beliefs.
August 5th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
My concern is that many Muslims in Europe want to supplant the existing culture with their own. If Europeans want that, then they won’t have to do much but get out of the way. The tide is coming.
Muslims aren’t the first to do that of course. White Europeans have done it repeatedly in the past. So have other cultures in history.
Right now I don’t include many Muslims in my list of admired role models.
August 6th, 2007 at 2:59 am
[...] Rob Longenecker: My concern is that many Muslims in Europe want to supplant the existing culture with their own. If… [...]
August 7th, 2007 at 11:43 am
I have no problem with folks coming here and trying to maintain a sense of their former customs/identity. The part that bothers me is when that belief system is so incredibly rigid that you believe that everyone should bend to accommodate it. We are normally a country of people who have a “live and let live” attitude as long as we all conform to our laws, but there are those that feel that once they move in to an area the laws should conform to their beliefs. For example:
Old law: Country X has protections establishing a certain freedom of expression
New law: Muslims move in, get offended by a cartoon drawing, and feel they should be able to riot and murder due to religious outrage. Attitude is that Islamic sensibilities supersede national law.
Doesn’t it seem to make more sense that if you have moved to an area (by choice!) where you disagree with the law perhaps you should move to a different place where the laws are more to your liking? I know that I really wouldn’t want to live somewhere governed by sharia (Islamic) law so I would refrain from moving to northern Nigeria. I’d probably also shy away from the middle east as well. Oh wait, what am I worried about? After all, as the tolerant and merciful Koran says “Let there be no compulsion in religion” (Surah 2.256). But…doesn’t it also say “Surely those who disbelieve…We will make him taste of a painful chastisement” (Surah 22.15).