Many Muslims in Britian Tell of Feeling Torn Between Competing Identities

LONDON, Aug. 12 — As a Muslim, Qadeer Ahmed says, he believes that violence against civilians is never justified. But as a British Muslim, he is not surprised to find the country once again at the center of a reported terrorist plot by homegrown extremists.

“When people say it’s Bush and Blair against the world, it’s difficult to argue with them,” said Mr. Ahmed, 37, a leader of the largest mosque in High Wycombe, where half a dozen young British Muslims were among the 24 arrested Thursday in what the authorities said was an elaborate plan to blow up planes on trans-Atlantic routes.

Despite government efforts over the last several years to reach out to community leaders — a tricky proposition, given that Muslims hardly speak with one voice — many Muslims have hardened their resentment of their country…”

Identity is defintely part of the problem. As a first-generation American-born Middle-Easterner, I believe my family raised us to be proud of our heritage but integrating with our new home. It probably also has something to do with the fact that my parents didn’t hate the country they were immigrating to as many Muslim immigrants seem to indicate.

If you are a Muslim in pursuit of a better life, that’s great. May you be welcome to whatever country you desire. However, you must contribute to that new society, help it, build it and at the very least not be a burden to it. (Or at the very, very least, not destory it but this is not the intention of this post).

It’s a NY Times article, it’s not anti-Muslim and I am not implying that all those Muslims polled are in terrorists (but some obviously are). But I am surprised of the attitude that they have towards their new countries and I suspect this is major part of the general problem, part of the attitude behind the “clash of civilizations” we discuss.

Found another related to the subject in today’s emails.
Young Muslim Rage Takes Root in Britain

Comments

  1. Marcguyver says:

    What I can’t understand is this: If you hate the U.S., U.K., etc sooooo much; why in the heck are you moving there?

    Couple of obvious reasons:
    1-They have more freedom, running water, fresh food, ammenities galore, etc.
    2-It makes it way easier to commit acts of terror on the Country and its citizenry when you are already there.

Speak Your Mind

*