Integration
Reader comment on item: Other Taxpayer-Funded American Madrassas
in response to reader comment: Coming to Britain

Submitted by Umer Sheikh (Australia), Nov 21, 2007 at 13:48

Hi Terry,

Your ideas seem to be referring to the fact that Muslims are trying to instill their ideas in the UK society. I think what you perceive about Muslims/Islam is the same that you get from media. How many times have you seen Muslim students in universities, schools or any other environment where they are being taught in Arabic/Urdu?

I think the right to have their native tongues and to be taught in those languages so they don't lose touch with their culture is perfectly alright. Isn't that what English did in S. Africa or sub-continental India when they had empire?

Muslims coming to the West appreciate the differences of the Western culture and integrate well into the society. I'm speaking on the point of American Muslims who have a higher bachelor's degree rate, lowest unemployment rate and they contribute significantly to American philosophy through their work in literature, technology and art. However you might say, we as Muslims can't assimilate as that's just not the right word to describe this situation. The proper word is "integration." Assimilation means for a group to lose its respective values as food does when it goes in our body. Integrate means to mix well with the common society and go along the way but not losing respective values. Isn't that 99% of the people doing?

Have an open mind and see the world in an optimistic view.

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