No I aint going to note this nor acknowledge what you say, earlier this year Robert McCartney was murdered and this was a very serious matter that his 5 sisters went all the way to the White House to meet President Bush. Also there are ongoing sectarian hatred going-ons still in northern Ireland, I have many Irish-Catholic friends more than Muslims I would say, and they all say that it's not that great over there. Next time root if you wanna etempt to bad mouth Islam, then use real facts to back up your racist view on this great religion
OK, I have offended you. Perhaps maybe I should expand a little to show no malice. Robert Mcartney was not murdered by the IRA, whatever our personal feelings are. It is true to say that they were murdered by members of the IRA, this I agree sounds a ridiculous statement. But remember the IRA expelled these "members" as they were repotedly acting outside of the IRA. Whatever our personal feelings on this matter is, this is the cost of peace for N. Ireland. and the "Cease Fire" is still in place and joint power sharing of the N. Ireland assembly will shortly be resumed
Now, sensitive matter it maybe. Again, when we look at the issue of N. Ireland we see territorial dispute in that some people in N. Ireland want to be part of Ireland and not the UK whislt others do wish to remain part of the UK. Incidently, though you will know this the IRA's goal is to see N. Ireland seperated from the UK and part of Ireland.
This thread makes the above irrelevent because you are talking about terrorism "albeit Catholic or Prodastents" is a territorial dispute & not a question of integration with the West for "Integration of the Muslim ethnic minority". To suggest that N. Irish Catholics or prodestants might be struggling to "Intergrate into a western christian society" and I acknowledge you are not stating this but I use it to show why it is irrelevent to my thread.
You mention the black community has integrated into western life fairly well…but don’t forget there was a time when people regarded them as good for nothing but slavery, yes that’s right – none other than this very western world which claims to be so liberated. Hence we had the Ku Klux Klan and the likes of apartheid in South Africa which as yet still has not disappeared completely.
I have to say, and I don't want to offend you further though please beleive me it is NOT my intention. I get bored with this KKK - SLAVERY S. Africa, yes a history that shames any nation involved including England, and many many other countries. Even Scotland who started the whole KKK movement acknowledges some history with a sense of wrong doing. As an example I am married to a Scottish women and I myself am English, I also live in Scotland. Have I to be ashamed or feel remourse or guilt for events before both mine and my parents birth. Of course not, so why are we going on about it. It's an accepted fact that the Black community have integrated well, just look to the England v Poland freindly when Black English playered were subject to monkey noises from the Polish. This is racism today, not hundreds of years ago. So I reiterate what is being said in the Holland and questioned in the UK in order to bring it out into the open and discussed. You have branded me a racist, I say you are from the time of the dinosaur!!!!!!
"If there is much misunderstanding in the West about the nature of Islam, there is also much ignorance about the debt our own culture and civilisation owe to the Islamic world. It is a failure, which stems, I think, from the straight-jacket of history, which we have inherited. The medieval Islamic world, from central Asia to the shores of the Atlantic, was a world where scholars and men of learning flourished. But because we have tended to see Islam as the enemy of the West, as an alien culture, society, and system of belief, we have tended to ignore or erase its great relevance to our own history."
I agree with the Princes remarks. I further add that I support his position as being the defender of faiths" & not a "defender of faith". This does not mean we are not supposed to talk about the Negative side of religous integration, nobody talks about it because they get branded Racist like you have branded me. However, we should acknowledge that it is not "wise" simply to bury our heads and pretend integration is a smnooth running loving all procedure for it is not. If you don't want to talk about it, don't post on it............
With regards to this: first of all, I don’t care for the notions a few people doing a bit of ‘thinking’ receive, but I think it quite harsh that such people should expect people of any race to forget their culture when they come to Britain.
Nah, we don't want you to. Pakistani, and I spent 3 months in Pakistan last year are a great people. We are not talking race, I used the pakistani example from the start because I am so fond of their culture and Pakistan itself. I stayed in Karachi. I think Pakistani-British are great, I think all races are. I think British Suicide Bombers don't blow themselves up out of loyalty tp Pakistan, this Racist that you call me even walks down the street with a Kaftan on given to me by my pakistani friends, I wear it out and people often comment but i simply tell them
"This is Pakistani culture, not Islamic and why should I not wear based on other peoples ignorance". It's not a racial issue at all, far from it.
In closing, I hope you are not offended. But being a stringent Muslim in a western society is bound to cause many issues, it is the negative issues that I want to discuss.
Regards
Root