Islam and the West: Culturally and Theologically Divided

The current demographic transformation of Western Europe makes me think of the migration period at the end of the Roman Empire. And when a self-hating, oikophobic culture has established itself among the leading echelons of Western societies, as it has today, our leaders have little compunction about welcoming external elements that in some cases are extremely hostile to the host civilization.

Western oikophobes and allophiliacs like to refer to Islam as a religion of peace and to point out that terrorist and other violent acts are committed by a very small minority of Muslims. But the fact of the matter is that a very large proportion of Muslims, and certainly of Arab Muslims, sympathize with many of the violent actions performed in the name of Islam–the “silent majority” of which Western oikophobes like to speak is, in fact, comprised of those who support extreme dogma but who, at least until recently, did not talk about it to their Western associates. All the while, it is only the minority that wholeheartedly rejects it and fully embraces Western freedom of speech, intellectual skepticism, and the full legal equality of women with men, and of Jews with others.

Before proceeding further, however, I should point out what should be obvious but nowadays is the sort of thing that must be explained even to adults: General statements about groups of people or about systems of faith are not meant to include every individual member of that group or every practitioner of that system. An analysis and critique of certain aspects of Islam is not tantamount to bigotry and is not an attack on individual Muslims, though some both Muslims and non-Muslims will perceive it as such; there are, of course, Muslims who embrace Western civilization. But an analysis and synthesis of certain facts should be welcome in any society that purports to support the disinterested pursuit of truth.