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The Horn of Africa

Reader comment on item: Washington Finally Gets It on Radical Islam

Submitted by Octavio Johanson (Italy), Apr 25, 2005 at 17:00

The attempt to modernize or convert Muslims in the Horn of Africa has already happened when most of that region was under Italian rule.

The Italian failure in the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea) should teach a lesson to the rest of the Western World.

Let me explain. Faced by fierce Muslim resistance in the Horn of Africa, the vicious fascist dictator Benito Mussolini sent Catholic priests to that part of the world, in order to convert Muslims.

In particular, an Italian Catholic priest dedicated about 20 years of his life to convert Somali Muslims, without getting anywhere.

Catholic Churches were built in Somalia, but Somali Muslims never converted. Those Italian Catholic Churches are today completely empty.

The Italian Catholic priest in question (I cannot remember his name) wrote a book arguing that it is virtually impossible to reform, modernize or convert Somali Muslims.

Lessons to be learned.

1) Don't try to reform, modernize or convert Muslims

2) The only way to stop Radical Islam is through immigration-control, because it eliminates the problem at its root.

Enforcing immigration laws and deporting illegal immigrants is much more important than talking to Muslims and trying to convince them that they are wrong.

Western countries should reform their immigration laws as opposed to make attempts to modernize Islam.

It is time to stop illegal immigration and that will stop the problem.

Moreover, it is time to say that stopping illegal immigration is morally justified.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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