[Glice]

Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous

I agree with you completely, the issues in Europe are very much complex and diverse. I know very well that Europe is not a homogenous place, just as the US is not, BUT, just like racism against blacks seems to be a relatively universal problem across the diversity of US life, so to does it seem to me (from the past few years of news reports, forgive me for relying on the news, I don't live in Europe and aside from Glice, no body from Europe here ever bothers to contribute some intelligent reasoning on the subject, rather than emotional mud slinging) that across the diversity of Europe a common theme has been a resistance to mosque building and other vestiges of Islam.
I do not want to see an Islamitization of Europe, but I am just calling it as I see it, if the many different Europeans want to cool the fires with their muslim populations, perhaps they should mellow out just a bit, that is all I have been trying to say..

Fair enough. I have to say, from my perspective there's a much more visible Muslim population in Europe. This isn't a USA vs Europe statement - that doesn't help anyone - but outside of the problems facing the Rom population (I imagine Slavo could provide more info on that), there isn't anything comparable to huge numbers of people marching outside the White House on the basis that Barack Obama might be a Muslim. Which, as we know, is as far from the truth as possible.

I think in terms of representing the European approach to Islam, somewhere like Turkey is a really interesting place - somewhere with a Muslim majority which fights en masse for a secular government against Islamic pressure. Certainly, there are problems facing the Muslim populations in various pockets of Europe (again, somewhere like Bradford in the UK is a good example) but I can only see that as more to do with the machinations of poverty than it is to do with a specific 'beef' with Islam. Also in the UK we've seen a downsurge in support for (very very) minority parties like the BNP in areas where they've tried to galvanise (foment) 'support' for their anti-immigration policies.

Also, this (tangentially).