The American Mind

A nation without boarders is not a nation

William Hillman

(1/2016) In the next few months the US may take in as many as 23,000 refugees for resettlement. There has been a lot written and publicized about how this will or will not have an impact. Those on the right would have you believe that the refugees are composed of radical Muslims and Isis fighters looking to spread terrorism on U.S. soil. The left would have you believe that the refugees are babies and women who’s presents in the county will make us somehow better people.

Currently there are close to 1,000,000 refugees who have made their way from Ceria and Northern Africa to Europe in 2015 according to the Un Refugee Agancy. Of those nearly 60% are fighting age men. In response to the influx, borders are reappearing between nations that the EU had promised where gone forever. Some pundits have predicted that the fissures created by this conflict could be the beginning of the end for the E.U. that might be a little drastic, but it’s definitely causing problems. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been brow beating other EU countries to accept and resettle the refugees. Countries like Hungry have responded by building fences. Dutch and French politicians are threatening to do the same.

The recent bombings in Paris have acted like an accelerant. Bur even before the bombings and terrorist fears there has been an uneasiness and protest to immigration from the East.

So why this strong reaction?

The media is portraying those who oppose the resettlement as hate filled Xenophobic, racist. Politicians who have stood back and said "what a minute, is this a good idea" are described as right wing fascist nuts.

What compassionate human could look at a picture of a dead baby washed up on the beach, and still turn their back? Europeans seem to have no problem allowing free range of travel between each other’s countries. The only explanation for opposition to the refugees must be how they look. It’s race, yes?

No. It is not a problem of race. It is a problem of Culture.

To make a generalization, Eastern Muslins do not share the Western European ethos. The Islamic culture is very different. These refugees are escaping from a religious war that has been going on for centuries, with some interruptions of peace from dictatorial rule. Their culture seems to encourage these conflicts. The question for Westerns is, are the refugees willing to undertake a major cultural change and adopt the ways of the west? I don’t think so. They are no more willing to give up their culture then the western Europeans will be to give up theirs.

Opposition to a culture with incompatible values to your own is not raciest or xenophobic its preservation.

The reality is, people want to be surrounded by other people with their same values and traditions. This is nothing new. Just look at any city in our own country. Almost without exception large cities have a little Italy, Chinatown, little Poland &c. When I look at my own friends, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation, we all share common values and world view. The fact that I have no interest in having a beer at my local pub with a women abuser, someone who puts themselves before their family, a cheat, miscreant, or religious fanatic, does not make me a bad person. Nor does a nation that attempts to prevent an influx of people who reject its values of certain freedoms and democratic values, need to feel guilty.

Where Muslims have settled in mass they have not assimilated very well. In fact, they have tried to turn those areas into Islamic havens where non-Muslims are less then welcome. The major cities in England have what are called "no go zones" which are controlled by Muslims. Here in the States much fuss is made about Dearborn Michigan. Its population is now over 30% Muslim. A simple Google search reveals a list of posts concerning the implementation of Sharia law in the town. A deeper search proves that this is all false. But the fear is there.

Islam is more then just a religion; it is an all-encompassing way of life. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that, in general, Muslims are far more into Islam, in all their mind and body, then Christians and Jews are into their respective religions. Muslims pray five times a day. Most Christians don’t even pray once a week. A sizable percentage of people that call themselves Christians don’t even go to church.

Islam is all encompassing. The United States, Western Europe, and most countries with the Judeo-Christian majority, have evolved to a point where separation of religion and government is seen as the keystone to freedom. We may occasionally have spats over small issues like nativity scenes in public squares &c., but you’d be hard-pressed to find a measurable number of people who believe that the government should tie itself to one religion or that the government should pass laws promoting and/or encouraging one religion over another.

Not so with Muslims. A Pew research pole shows a vast majority of Muslin’s in the Mid-east believe that Sharia should be the law of the land. In Afghanistan 99% of the respondents agreed. For those in the region where the refugees are coming from, 71% of the population believe that Sharia should be law of the land.

A quick note on Sharia law.

Sharia law is an Islamic code of justice that provides punishment for crimes and civil disputes based on the Qur’an. Such as chopping off someone’s hand for stealing. Some of the more extreme interpretations permit the enslavement of non-muslins, and the rap of non-muslin girls. To convert a Muslim from Islam is punishable by death. These are laws that are not exactly compatible with the Western values of freedom of association and speech.

All of the American Muslim (by American I refer to citizens born here.) I’ve talk to DO NOT believe that Sharia law should super-seed our judicial system. But then most of the Muslim I know are middle class men and women who certainly don’t pray 5 times a day.

Don’t get me wrong, I do not think Islam is a bad religion, on the contrary, radical elements aside, it can do good. Those Muslim that I know and come into contact with regularly seem happy healthy and good family people. I know of persons whose lives were saved by the religion when it pulled them out of a life that would have ended in a gutter. More power to them and Islam.

As a culture however, Islam just doesn’t play well with others. At times it doesn’t play well with itself. There are 49 countries with Muslim majorities. Most seem not to be doing very well.

People have every right to question the cultural compatibility of foreigners they let in their country. Nations need boarders or they are not Nations!