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THE NEXT STAGE ... Mark Steyn
Steyn Online ^ | 24 Feb 2009 | Mark Steyn

Posted on 02/23/2009 11:46:06 PM PST by Rummyfan

The other day I found myself wondering when the conversion rate would become an avalanche. To Islam, I mean. If you’ve been following recent developments in the Netherlands, you’ll know that Geert Wilders, a Dutch Member of Parliament, is to be put on trial for offending Muslims. “Look at what you’re doing,” the sardonic Brit Pat Condell pointed out. “You’re prosecuting a man who is under 24-hour protection from attack by violent Muslims. Yet he’s the criminal for expressing an opinion.”

Quite. But, while Europe has a high degree of tolerance for intolerant imams, it won’t tolerate anyone pointing out that intolerance. It is not necessary for Minheer Wilders to be either jailed or forced into exile to conclude that the Netherlands, like many of its neighbors, has already conceded the key point - that Muslims now have the exclusive right to set the parameters of public debate on Islam. And, given that they don’t regard it as debatable at all, that means that the remorseless Islamization of Europe will continue and accelerate while the deWildered political establishment stands mute.

When I talk like that, I’m assumed to be nuts – or, to use the preferred term, “alarmist” (The Economist et al). Brian Barrington, a Dublin blogger, recently concluded a review of my book by asking:

Is Mark Steyn a scaremongering fool indulging in Islamophobic fantasies..?

Answer: yes he is.

Here’s a 2008 headline from Le Figaro re demographic trends in Brussels:

La capitale européenne sera musulmane dans vingt ans.

For those who haven’t taken up President Obama’s urgings to learn another language, that’s French for “Nothing to see here, folks.”

Now here’s a 2009 headline from The Times :of London

Muslim Population ‘Rising 10 Times Faster Than Rest Of Society’.

A little bit harder for that one to get lost in translation. According to the United Kingdom’s Office of National Statistics, the greatest number of “Christians” (whatever that means in a contemporary Anglican context) is to be found among the over-70s, and the largest number of Muslims is in the cohort aged four and under. Which is Britain’s past and which Britain’s future? No need to ask a “scaremongering fool”. In a land where the head of state is also Supreme Governor of the established church, a quarter of all public elementary schools in England are what are known as “Church of England schools”. In practice, they cannot teach Christianity because many of them, especially in the inner cities, are now overwhelmingly Muslim. In the Blackburn and Dewsbury C-of-E schools, every single pupil is Muslim. At others, the retreating Christian community can still muster up to one per cent of the enrolment. In Bradford, the Church is building a new school for what will be an entirely Muslim student body. “Demographics change,” says the Venerable Peter Ballard, Archdeacon of Lancaster. “There was certainly a Christian population there at one time and, who knows, 20 years from now the Christians might be back.”

Not in 20 years. According to official statistics, of “white British Christian” households 16 per cent have two or more dependent children; among the UK’s “Pakistani Muslim” households, the figure is 50 per cent; “Bangladeshi Muslims”, 58 per cent. The British Government “sustainable development chair” (whatever that is) Sir Jonathon Porritt has just announced that he thinks parents are being “environmentally irresponsible” if they have more than two children.

That 16 per cent will listen to the sustainable baronet. The 58 per cent will fill the void.

So Britain and Europe are becoming more Muslim. The only question is how much more, how fast. And in that respect I think the only thing I got wrong in America Alone is that I was insufficiently “alarmist”. I’ll bet that “la capitale européenne sera musulmane” a lot sooner than 20 years.

Islam is not a race: As The Times reported, “Experts said that the increase was attributable to immigration, a higher birthrate and conversions to Islam.” That last category is the next stage. Like many readers, I’ve been enjoying Robert Ferrigno’s Prayers For The Assassin trilogy, set in an Islamic Republic of America a decade or three hence, while being just a wee bit skeptical about the premise – that a nuclear catastrophe would prompt millions of Americans to convert to Islam. But in Europe? There’s no need for nukes, just the quiet, remorseless daily reality.

In the next few years, Brussels, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Rotterdam will become majority Muslim. Let’s say you work in an office in those cities: One day they install a Muslim prayer room, and a few folks head off at the designated time, while the rest of you get on with what passes for work in the EU. A couple of years go by, and it’s now a few more folks scooting off to the prayer room. Then it’s a majority. And the ones who don’t are beginning to feel a bit awkward about being left behind.

What do you do? The future showed up a lot sooner than you thought. If you were a fundamentalist Christian like those wackjob Yanks, signing on to Islam might (pace Mr Ferrigno) cause you some discomfort. But, if you’re the average post-Christian Eurosecularist, what’s the big deal? Who wants to be the last guy sitting in the office sharpening his pencil during morning prayers?

Funny how quickly it all happened. There was the woman on reception, but she retired. And the guy in personnel who used to say, sotto voce, that Geert Wilders had a point. But he emigrated the year after Wilders did.

from National Review


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: eurabia; geertwilders; islamization; marksteyn; steyn

1 posted on 02/23/2009 11:46:06 PM PST by Rummyfan
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To: knews_hound

Ping!


2 posted on 02/23/2009 11:46:26 PM PST by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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To: Rummyfan
Love the ending!

....the guy in personnel who used to say, sotto voce, that Geert Wilders had a point. But he emigrated the year after Wilders did.

3 posted on 02/24/2009 3:24:31 AM PST by REPANDPROUDOFIT
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To: Rummyfan
The Left controls all of our major institutions, from government, media, unions, academia, K-12, movies, TV and many churches. The Left also shares with Islam the same near term goal, destruction of the great Satan.

Accelerating acceptance and absorption of barbaric, filthy Islam in these United States is a certainty.

4 posted on 02/24/2009 5:13:59 AM PST by Jacquerie (Hayek is the antidote to Alinsky.)
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To: Rummyfan; kellynla; Howlin; riley1992; Miss Marple; Dane; sinkspur; steve; kattracks; JohnHuang2; ..
Thanks for the ping Rummyfan.

Also be aware of another Steyn piece here-

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME ... Mark Steyn


Welcome to the newest members of this ever expanding  list.





On or off, please FReepmail me.

Cheers,

knewshound

knewshounds blog

5 posted on 02/24/2009 8:21:00 AM PST by knews_hound (I for one welcome our new Insect overlords!)
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To: Rummyfan
Muslim Population ‘Rising 10 Times Faster Than Rest Of Society’.

That can be remedied in minutes. Literally minutes.

6 posted on 02/24/2009 8:36:12 AM PST by DCPatriot ("It aint what you don't know that kills you. It's what you know that aint so" Theodore Sturgeon))
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To: knews_hound
On or off...

ON ON ON Please keep me ON.

7 posted on 02/24/2009 8:36:40 AM PST by GOPJ (The MSM will trumpet every hard luck housing story they can find to undermine Santelli.)
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To: knews_hound

Thanks.


8 posted on 02/24/2009 8:38:42 AM PST by COUNTrecount (http://obamaclock.org/)
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To: GOPJ

I never take anyone off the list unless asked.

I suspect they would be coming for me with pitchforks if I did !

Cheers,

knewshound


9 posted on 02/24/2009 8:42:01 AM PST by knews_hound (I for one welcome our new Insect overlords!)
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To: Rummyfan
But, if you’re the average post-Christian Eurosecularist, what’s the big deal? Who wants to be the last guy sitting in the office sharpening his pencil during morning prayers?

Exactly. Secular polities are enormous facades with nothing underneath them. They publicly revile fundamentalist Christianity but tremble in fear at the thought of Islam. For all their "defiance," Western liberals will meekly submit to the dictates of Islam; the fiercest feminists will quietly put on the burka, the most vocal gay activists will jump right back into the closet.

The overwhelming fear that Muslims like to generate in their slaves can only be overcome with an equally powerful commitment to a stronger ideal. But at heart the Western liberal has no real ideal, only emotion.

10 posted on 02/24/2009 8:56:36 AM PST by denydenydeny ("IÂ’m sure this goes against everything youÂ’ve been taught, but right and wrong do exist."--Dr. Hou)
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To: Rummyfan

It’ll take a nuke for me to consider converting to Muslim.

I’ll be the shadow on the wall before that conversion ever happens.


11 posted on 02/24/2009 10:16:26 AM PST by hattend (Sarah Palin has run a fishing business, a city, and a state. All Obama has done is run his mouth.)
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To: Jacquerie; Rummyfan
barbaric, filthy Islam

Good description although I'd add "deceptive" and "twisted".

Count me OUT of those who willingly or unwillingly convert to the cult of islam.

12 posted on 02/24/2009 10:26:06 AM PST by prairiebreeze (These are the times that try men's souls.)
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To: knews_hound

Thanks for the ping. Heard the great Mark Steyn on Bill Bennett’s program this morning. He was talking about much the same thing.


13 posted on 02/24/2009 12:05:09 PM PST by beaversmom
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To: Rummyfan

He’s set a new best with ‘deWildered.’


14 posted on 02/24/2009 12:17:27 PM PST by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, then writes again.)
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To: Rummyfan
Muslim Population ‘Rising 10 Times Faster Than Rest Of Society’.

Fixed. Sorry, Mark.

15 posted on 02/24/2009 12:36:01 PM PST by Dr.Deth
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To: denydenydeny

bttt


16 posted on 02/24/2009 6:07:32 PM PST by metesky (My retirement fund is holding steady @ $.05 a can.)
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To: Rummyfan; PhilDragoo; devolve; y'all

Bump!

Ping !!!

Bump!


17 posted on 02/24/2009 10:41:35 PM PST by MeekOneGOP (2008: The year the Media died. --Sean Hannity, regarding Barack HUSSEIN ObaMao's treatment ...)
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To: MeekOneGOP; Rummyfan

18 posted on 02/24/2009 10:56:18 PM PST by PhilDragoo (Hussein: Islamo-Commie from Kenya)
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To: Rummyfan

What are the figures on Brits emigrating ? Nearly as high as New Jerseyites, as I recall.


19 posted on 02/24/2009 11:11:02 PM PST by EDINVA
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To: knews_hound
I suspect they would be coming for me with pitchforks if I did !

LOL - but seriously, if you drop me - I've got my pitchfork ready...

20 posted on 02/25/2009 7:41:14 AM PST by GOPJ (The MSM will trumpet every hard luck housing story they can find to undermine Santelli.)
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