Muslims taking over the world?

Anyone who lived through the 60s (and can remember doing so) recalls race riots, black power, burning cities and the general chaos that existed throughout our land. At the time, many white people worried they would be swept over in a rising tide of black nationalism. The disparity in birth rates between whites and blacks was interpreted by some to mean that blacks would soon be the majority and whites the minority.

Of course, that never happened. In fact, what did happen is that black people were finally integrated into American society as equals, no longer second class citizens. Today we even have a semi-black president. As is so often the case, we tend to demonize that which we don't know, including ethnic groups, races and religions. Amazingly, once we get to know people and find out they are just like us on the inside, it is difficult to see any demons.

What evolved with African-Americans, will also evolve with Muslim-Americans. It will also happen much faster than it ever will in Europe. Europe's Muslim-phobia is the result of so many people from Muslim countries (usually the countries once colonized by those same Europeans), coming to Europe for a better life. The latest expression of that phobia is the fear that the Muslim population is growing so fast, there will soon be more brown-skinned Muslims than white Christians.

Sounds like the 60s all over again. Part of the problem is that in Europe, like America in our recent past, immigrants are not well integrated into society. In Europe, they tend to collect in Muslim ghettos and typically can only find work in lower end jobs. There, they struggle with poverty and anger at their situation.

The Muslim population in Europe could well double over the next 10-20 years, but even then, they will still be a minority. The facts also seem to indicate that the birth rate among Muslims is slowing down, to the point it is not much higher than our average birth rate in the US, and the trend is for the birth rate to decrease further. In Western societies, as people became more educated, women were incorporated into the workforce and opportunities improved, the birth rate decreased. That will also happen in the Muslim world if given the chance (see my other new post).

Here in the States, Muslims have always integrated into our society well (check out the number of medical professionals in our community with Muslim names). It is only since 9-11 that Muslims have been demonized is some quarters. Those who go on TV and talk about burning Korans, terror babies, Shari'a law replacing our constitution and other nonsense, sound just like those guys in the white hoods who warned of the 'black takeover' 50 years ago. It's best to ignore the wingnuts and treat people the same as we want to be treated.