Two teenage girls gang-raped by four 'Syrian nationals' in southern Germany

[Expat1 971]

Happening in Aceh, Indonesia.

http://news.yahoo.com/woman-man-brutally-caned-public-175839648.html

Aceh? LOL

Aceh's a hole. Used to be one of those sex tourism hotspots. Tsunami hit, wiped it out, and the religious leaders convinced the people there that the tsunami was punishment for their sinful ways. You might have read about that, papers in the US (all over) were kinda making fun of that.

Next thing you know - they implement Sharia law. Applies to Muslims, not non-Muslims, sort of a Malay-style system.

Jakarta is about to crack down on that. Indonesia has a church/state separation style constitution and this Sharia thing violates their constitution. Hope it's not violent when they do that.

[JayJayH 546]

this? http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/17/in-nations-with-significant-muslim-populations-much-disdain-for-isis/

I'm not really worried about numbers of people holding favorable views of ISIS. Even Al Qaida and the Taliban don't view ISIS favorably.

I'm more worried about this:

http://www.pewforum.org/2013/04/30/the-worlds-muslims-religion-politics-society-beliefs-about-sharia/

And really hope that we can stay on this path in America (both liberals and conservatives should take note):

http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21615611-why-muslims-fare-better-america-europe-islamic-yet-integrated

"America’s Muslims differ from Europe’s in both quantity and origin. The census does not ask about faith, but estimates put the number of Muslims in the country at around 1% of the population, compared with 4.5% in Britain and 5% in Germany. Moreover, American Islam is not dominated by a single sect or ethnicity. When the Pew Research Centre last tried to count, in 2011, it found Muslims from 77 countries in America. Most western European countries, by contrast, have one or two dominant groups—Algerians in France, Moroccans and Turks in Holland. This matters because the jumble of groups in America makes it harder for Muslim immigrants and their descendants to lead a life apart. Different traditions get squashed together. When building mosques, says Chris McCoy, a Kentucky native who is a prolific architect of Islamic buildings, “the question is usually not whether we should have an Indian- or a Saudi-style dome but, can we afford a dome?” Mixing breeds tolerance: Pew found that most American Muslims think that their faith is open to multiple interpretations, making them the Episcopalians of the Islamic world."

There's no single, cover-all Islamic/Muslim identity in the U.S. in the way that there is in Europe and most Middle Eastern countries. If the far right can avoid squashing all Muslims together into one, and the far left can avoid the whole narrative that "Islam is peaceful or you're racist" I think we'll be just fine.

Edited January 9, 2016 by JayJayH

[Expat1 971]

I'm not really worried about numbers of people holding favorable views of ISIS. Even Al Qaida and the Taliban don't view ISIS favorably.

I'm more worried about this:

http://www.pewforum.org/2013/04/30/the-worlds-muslims-religion-politics-society-beliefs-about-sharia/

And really hope that we can stay on this path in America (both liberals and conservatives should take note):

http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21615611-why-muslims-fare-better-america-europe-islamic-yet-integrated

"America’s Muslims differ from Europe’s in both quantity and origin. The census does not ask about faith, but estimates put the number of Muslims in the country at around 1% of the population, compared with 4.5% in Britain and 5% in Germany. Moreover, American Islam is not dominated by a single sect or ethnicity. When the Pew Research Centre last tried to count, in 2011, it found Muslims from 77 countries in America. Most western European countries, by contrast, have one or two dominant groups—Algerians in France, Moroccans and Turks in Holland. This matters because the jumble of groups in America makes it harder for Muslim immigrants and their descendants to lead a life apart. Different traditions get squashed together. When building mosques, says Chris McCoy, a Kentucky native who is a prolific architect of Islamic buildings, “the question is usually not whether we should have an Indian- or a Saudi-style dome but, can we afford a dome?” Mixing breeds tolerance: Pew found that most American Muslims think that their faith is open to multiple interpretations, making them the Episcopalians of the Islamic world."

There's no single, cover-all Islamic/Muslim identity in the U.S. in the way that there is in Europe and most Middle Eastern countries. If the far right can avoid squashing all Muslims together into one, and the far left can avoid the whole narrative that "Islam is peaceful or you're racist" I think we'll be just fine.

Excellent post

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

I'm not really worried about numbers of people holding favorable views of ISIS. Even Al Qaida and the Taliban don't view ISIS favorably.

I'm more worried about this:

http://www.pewforum.org/2013/04/30/the-worlds-muslims-religion-politics-society-beliefs-about-sharia/

And really hope that we can stay on this path in America (both liberals and conservatives should take note):

http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21615611-why-muslims-fare-better-america-europe-islamic-yet-integrated

"America’s Muslims differ from Europe’s in both quantity and origin. The census does not ask about faith, but estimates put the number of Muslims in the country at around 1% of the population, compared with 4.5% in Britain and 5% in Germany. Moreover, American Islam is not dominated by a single sect or ethnicity. When the Pew Research Centre last tried to count, in 2011, it found Muslims from 77 countries in America. Most western European countries, by contrast, have one or two dominant groups—Algerians in France, Moroccans and Turks in Holland. This matters because the jumble of groups in America makes it harder for Muslim immigrants and their descendants to lead a life apart. Different traditions get squashed together. When building mosques, says Chris McCoy, a Kentucky native who is a prolific architect of Islamic buildings, “the question is usually not whether we should have an Indian- or a Saudi-style dome but, can we afford a dome?” Mixing breeds tolerance: Pew found that most American Muslims think that their faith is open to multiple interpretations, making them the Episcopalians of the Islamic world."

There's no single, cover-all Islamic/Muslim identity in the U.S. in the way that there is in Europe and most Middle Eastern countries. If the far right can avoid squashing all Muslims together into one, and the far left can avoid the whole narrative that "Islam is peaceful or you're racist" I think we'll be just fine.

Good articles, good post. thanks.

[TBoneTX 45,962]

hey ! i think a mandatory 2 year military stint in the German Army, once ya come across the border, will fix a lot of this stuff.

That might evoke a (pardon the expression) "come-to-Jesus" moment in terms of acculturation and personal discipline.

Why not send them to any one of the Central American Countries, instead ? Come on...

Most of Central America is empty at the moment, most getting to Texas within the last 10 years.

They could fight the infidels who run the drug cartels -- a definite boon.

However, once they were in the Western Hemisphere, it would be all too easy for them to follow the Central Americans here.

[Expat1 971]

That might evoke a (pardon the expression) "come-to-Jesus" moment in terms of acculturation and personal discipline.

They could fight the infidels who run the drug cartels -- a definite boon.

However, once they were in the Western Hemisphere, it would be all too easy for them to follow the Central Americans here.

You have no faith in the Great Wall Of Trump

[TBoneTX 45,962]

It ain't built yet...

[Expat1 971]

Patience. Waiting for the check to clear.

[JayJayH 546]

I used to doubt he could get Mexico to pay for it.

Then I realized he's gotten the mainstream media to pay for his PR and presidential campaign.

You never know.

[Boiler 45,956]

I used to doubt he could get Mexico to pay for it.

Then I realized he's gotten the mainstream media to pay for his PR and presidential campaign.

You never know.

I thought he was a joke and doing it to prop up his ego, but then events caught up...

[Darnell 8,479]

They could fight the infidels who run the drug cartels -- a definite boon.

However, once they were in the Western Hemisphere, it would be all too easy for them to follow the Central Americans here.

Nope, as the wall at the border will be in place by the time the cartels are overthrown. Sure, it's a different topic, but try to keep current and relevant, aye? And try not to get stuck in the immediacy of the 'now' as well - that'll trip you up each and every time !

Edited January 11, 2016 by Darnell