Europe's great multicultural experiment seems to be unravelling

Blind Faith (Sydney Morning Herald, 27/8/05)

The writer says that "In the face of the threat [of radical Islam], European countries are adopting similar strategies: crack down hard on extremists, attempt to engage the moderate Muslim majority and try to do more to reduce endemic disadvantage."

Let's hope so. But I can sense a worrying trend that increasingly "mainstream" Europeans are giving up hope that they can live peacefully with Islam, and are losing faith in multiculturalism in general. Some of the recent proposals by the Blair Government seems to have reflected, and even reinforced, this hard-line opinion.

I am afraid this worrying trend is also emerging in Australia. Just read what John Stone, a former Treasury Secretary, had to say about "assimilation" (The Australian, 15/8/05).

Related articles:
Terrorism fears spark citizenship review
The other side of the summit
US leap of faith has happy landing
(all from Sydney Morning Herald, 27/8/05)

See also: A journey from rootlessness to radical Islam