RUTHFULLY YOURS

Plenty more where these came from, says Angela Merkel: the Merkez mosque, Duisenberg, Germany

…or else? More multiculturalist lectures from the political élites: “For years we have deluded ourselves on this subject”, Merkel said, but “mosques, among other things, will become an ever more present feature of our landscape”.

She added that immigrants who did not make enough of an effort to integrate in the country should expect to be treated “firmly” and would “suffer the consequences”.

“We cannot accept a parallel society in which fundamental rights such as equality between men and women would not be the rule”, she said.

“Only the Constitution can serve as a basis for us to live together in tolerance and respect. Whoever wants to live here must accept that.”

A furore broke out in Germany after the publication in August of a book by 65-year-old Thilo Sarrazin, Germany Does Itself In, that said the country was being made “more stupid” by poorly educated and unproductive Muslim immigrants.

Sarrazin resigned from the central Bundesbank earlier this month but has refused to leave the opposition centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), despite moves to expel him.

Surveys have indicated that his opinions on the integration of Muslims enjoy considerable sympathy, and his book is a best-seller.

The controversy has raised fears that a charismatic populist in Germany, like anti-Islam Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders, could win considerable support.

What is always omitted from these patronising diatribes is the fact that Muslim immigration is optional. Yet it is presented as if we have no choice but to continue the importation of millions of people who live by a doctrine that is entirely incompatible with Western democracy.

It is also conveyed to us that this immigration confers much in the way of benefits to the host society, with words like ‘vibrant’ and ‘diverse’ tossed around, but always very little or nothing in the way of concrete facts.

The ‘benefits’ most of the ordinary electorate see, however are much more specific and concrete:

• Stealth Islamisation – do you know whether the meat you are eating is Halal or not? Why are mosques seemingly allowed to be constructed anywhere, with little regard for actual demand; and in architectural styles completely out of keeping with European norms?
• Violence against women: Honour killing and spousal violence are a massive problem within Muslim communities
• Erosion of the rule of law: polygamy, underage and forced marriages are carried out under the noses (and with the unspoken acquiescence?) of the host country
• Immigration and benefit abuse: widespread and disproportionately high in Muslim immigrant communities
• Crime: much higher rates of offending – in Britain for example, Muslims are four times more likely to commit crime than non-Muslims
• Risk of Terrorism: the doctrine of Islam hates the west and despises democracy, free expression and women’s rights

There is no doubt that greedy businessmen and the political élites see the benefits – cheap labour, lots of it – and, for the multiculturalist left, plenty of voters.

Yet the rest of us see little other than urban blight, ghettoes, blind eyes turned to lawbreaking and a host of other problems.

But the people are waking up, Mrs. Merkel.