The Failure of Multiculturalism

An extract of this comment appeared in News Weekly

British Prime Minister David Cameron has joined German Chancellor Angela Merkel in claiming that multiculturalism has failed.

The fanciful idea that allowing communities of people to isolate themselves from their fellow citizens somehow builds a better nation is rapidly coming to an end.

The consequence of such failure has been a conflict of cultures as Western appeasers abandoned any defence of their own cultural institutions for fear of being labelled racist, bigoted, intolerant or worse.

When did drawing distinctions between good and bad, right and wrong become so reprehensible that one has to protect themselves against such abuse?

For decades, migrants have come to this land and integrated with other Australians. The integration has resulted in a subtle infusion of other cultures to build upon, and strengthen, our unique way of life.

At times, the integration of new migrants hasn’t gone smoothly.

Many new arrivals have been subject to taunts and xenophobia. Despite these obstacles, our community has grown and thrived as migrants sought to improve their own lives through hard work and adopting the ways of their new home.

However, things have changed.

Across the world, there have been new waves of immigrants who have decided that their greatest allegiance is to the religious and political ideology of Islam rather than to their adopted land.

This is the multiculturalism that an increasing number of leaders are prepared to declare has failed with such catastrophic consequences wherever it has been tried.

Former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew recently stated:

“I think we were progressing very nicely until the surge of Islam came.”

He added:

“I would say today, we can integrate all religions and races except Islam.”

The demands by strict Muslims to live according to the doctrines of Islam – an ideology that rules every aspect of the adherent’s life – whilst inhabiting Western nations has resulted in a cultural clash that has brought almost unprecedented levels of social unrest.

In many European nations, Islamists’ demands have included separate courts, Muslim-only public toilets and Islamic prayer rooms in public institutions.

They have sought to instil fear in the native populace through violent demonstrations, intimidation and even murder of those they deem to have insulted their ideology.

Their insistence of consuming Halal food means that in many countries (including Australia), most of us are unknowingly eating food slaughtered in the name of Allah. I, for one, don’t want to eat meat butchered in the name of an ideology that is mired in sixth-century brutality and is an anathema to my own values.

Islamists have demanded special councils, burnt remembrance day poppies, spat on service men and women and specifically targeted non-Muslim women as rape victims.

Their preachers have repeatedly been caught espousing hate and advocating violence against the non-Muslim community.

They hold international conferences demanding the overthrow of the West, the death of infidels and encouraging ‘jihad’.

It is equally clear that not all Muslims subscribe to these fundamentalist views.

Unfortunately, while these ‘moderate’ Muslims may make the choice to ignore some of the demands of Islam, the fundamentalists are only doing what their ‘prophet’ demanded of them.

That is why Islam, the ideology, is so dangerous.

The Islamists believe that the Quran is the literal word of Allah and can never be changed. It is a book in which any peaceful verses are superseded by violent and hateful ones.

Islamists believe that Muhammad set the perfect example for others to follow despite his taking a child bride, his hatred of Jews and his advocacy of violence against non-believers.

In a political climate where seemingly any public distinction between good and bad is to subject oneself to vitriol and abuse, where criticism of Islam can put one’s life at risk, too many have been cowed into silence.

A succession of political leaders have been afraid of the potential implications of speaking out rather than recognising that the consequences of remaining silent are much more frightening.

Now that David Cameron and Lee Kuan Yew have joined Angela Merkel, Francois Fillon, Geert Wilders and others in highlighting the dangers of a separatist Islamic culture within a nation, it’s about time Australia learned from their experience before it is too late.