Final Project

•           How does the influx of large numbers of Muslims effect western society?
•       How does the migration of Muslims into western society differ from than that of other religions and cultures?

After World War II, Western Europe encouraged foreign labor forces to migrate there to help with the rebuilding efforts in various countries. Immigrants were later encouraged to come to so these countries could meet the demands of the rapid economic growth and as an asylum of sort. It was not until the Iranian revolution and the recent terrorist acts that it was brought to attention that these immigrants were not just of a different ethnicity; they were Muslim. Within the last two decades there has been a steady increase of Muslim population in Western Europe and the Unites States. Since 1989, Islam in the United States has increased by 25%, while Islam in Europe has increased by 142.35%. In Europe, the country with the largest Muslim population is France, with 8%, followed by the Netherlands at 6% and Germany at 4%. Many compare this mass immigration to the immigration of Hispanics in the United States. However, there is a crucial difference. Hispanics beliefs and cultures can go hand and hand fairly harmoniously with the beliefs of Americans. As Muslims disperse themselves they are not assimilating well with other societies and their religions. Muslims have a much more extreme belief system than of those here and in Europe.

 Due to the incidents in previous years, tensions have risen between nations and their Muslim populations. There was the 2004 Madrid and 2005 London attacks, the 2005 Paris riots, the 2006 Danish cartoon incident, and several high profile murders. The massacre in July 2011 in Norway by Anders Behring Brevik, who killed 8 people in Oslo and then proceeded to kill 69 people, mostly children, at a Youth Camp on the island Utoya. He spoke against the Islamization of Western Europe and multiculturalism, encouraging the idea of deporting all Muslims from Europe. These events further deepened the tension and strain between the Europeans and the Muslims living inside these countries.  

First publication of Charlie Hebdo Magazine post-attack

Blurb translates to: "100 lashes if
 you don't die of laughter"

Discussion Post Question:

With recent attacks and the increasing tension between state and Muslim population, how can we as a society break the tension before it reaches its point? In other words, do you have any insight on how we as a society can move forward together with the Muslim population before another war is declared? 

Links

http://www.theglobalist.com/living-where-you-dont-make-rules-part-1/

http://www.ibtimes.com/charlie-hebdo-cover-prophet-muhammad-holds-je-suis-charlie-sign-first-magazine-issue-1781326

The link below will lead you to a fairly long (89 minute) BBC documentary on the Islamic History of Europe and how it affected art, science, and philosophy. Just to add a bit of positivity to this article. Not a requirement to watch to be able do the assignment, just an interesting documentary. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfhZR15QRKA