Is Islam compatible with Western Civilisation or are the differences so great as to cause eternal strife?

I strongly believe that the vast majority of Muslims in the UK (& elsewhere) just want peace, health, prosperity and success for their families like most of us do in all faiths (and indeed non believers).

For instance, the small minority of Muslims in the UK who wish violence and harm on others are unfortunately the loudest and so get heard by the rest of us while the passive majority's view is more silent in a 24/7 news agenda.

There has been a representative from the Quilliam Foundation and the family of the dead French Muslim police officer both on the news in recent days pleading with people not to confuse real Muslims with violent extremists. But when the rest of the news shows dramatic and scarey images, their message is upstaged. The terrible atrocities in France were committed by just five people. It will be interesting to see how many ordinary Muslims attend todays marches and rallies across France - I bet there will be more than 5!

I do hope that people are sensible and are able to make this important difference and mob rule does not prevail

As a Western Country with the freedoms that it affords us we have laws that we abide by and tolerances towards others and their beliefs. others who choose to settle in a Western Country should follow the Countries laws and try and fit in with that Country not impose their laws and beliefs on others, ie introducing Sharia Laws on our streets, and protesting at rallies against our people. If they don't like the way we live then they should stay in their own Countries.
Until this happens we will never have the peace that we all desire.

I hear what you say SOT but are we really kidding ourselves? It is only in Islamic states that people are killed for blasphemy, apostasy (abandoning/leaving the faith), infidelity, or homosexuality. There is little in the way of freedom of conscience and freedom of expression in any Islamic country.
An NOP poll in 2006 of British Muslims reported that 68% of our Muslim community thought that British people who insulted the prophet should be prosecuted - not actually killed, but jailed, whilst 28% hoped that Britain would become an "Islamic state". In a later poll for the Policy Exchange think tank, more than a third of young British Muslims said they thought apostates should be put to death and some 40% wanted sharia law in the UK. These are not the views of muslim "extremists" but of mainstream muslims.
This is what prompts me to pose the question.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30766675

Take note of what one of Amedy Coulibaly's neighbours has to say about him and his wife being so polite and always smiling and happy. You just don't know who is a terrorist / extremist even when you live next door to one.
This could have been any one of the European Union Countries including us. It makes you wonder!!!

Agree strongly with the first sentence of SOT's reply.

That said more effort needs to be made to integrate as it currently stands parts of the UK (West Midlands, Luton, Bradford Ect) are being ghettoised. This in itself will lead to extremism and parts of these areas can become hot beds for hate preachers and the like who will attempt to convert.

This I think it is/was a huge failure of various governments Immigration polices and it is now beyond a situation where it can be fixed.

I think it is only a matter of time now that these nutters are able to stage a spectacular in a crowded shopping or city centre with bombs or automatic weapons.

The Government think this too which is why the media is no openly quoting them that an attack of such a magnitude is possible but everything possible is being done to avert it.

I fear when it does come it will be extremely difficult to avoid the backlash from certain parts of the UK right and whilst most of us know 99% are blameless and innocent some will get caught up in it.

Of course this will only serve to make the situation worse.......

Is there not an election looming?

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... ommunities





He wrote this in 2007 and still achieved the largest share of the vote in the 2010 election.

Never underestimate how much our leaders detest the Britain we grew up in.

If only the native British person voted then I think the GE result would tell a different story. These 30% or lower turnout figures in some areas then they moan that they get an MP whose name they can't pronounce.

_________________
Lets be careful out there !