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Originally Posted by Glice
I think in terms of representing the European approach to Islam, somewhere like Turkey is a really interesting place - somewhere with a Muslim majority which fights en masse for a secular government against Islamic pressure. Certainly, there are problems facing the Muslim populations in various pockets of Europe (again, somewhere like Bradford in the UK is a good example) but I can only see that as more to do with the machinations of poverty than it is to do with a specific 'beef' with Islam. Also in the UK we've seen a downsurge in support for (very very) minority parties like the BNP in areas where they've tried to galvanise (foment) 'support' for their anti-immigration policies.
Also, this (tangentially).
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100% agreed. I would prefer to tackle the real underlying issues of economic and political disenfranchisement that European muslims sometimes face, but the surface bubble is bursting over mosques and burqas and such things, and while the real beef is over money and power, this socio-religious drama adds more fuel to the ever-growing fire. As Rob so poignently points out, religion can be quite a divisive and dangerous thing in the wrong hands and for the wrong reasons, and as I added to his point, makes a wonder disguise for legitimizing and mainstreaming political and economic issues in the name of religion (ie, the protestant movement against catholics or the Crusades or the Reconquista etc etc)