Islam in the West

I know this may be a sensitive topic but it's one that needs to be discussed, i am never one to shy away from a debate!

Do you think that Islam belongs in the Western civilization? Do Western ideals belong in the Middle East & Far Eastern countries? Is there incompatibility between Islam & the West? Should there be a definitive line where the West is on one side and Islam on the other? Would there be a lot less religious tension in the world if both were kept apart?

Personally living in the UK i don't mind Islam being here, Muslims IMO have just as much right to live here as anyone else. We pride ourselves on being tolerent, however tensions have been simmering for a while. Since the 9/11 attacks there have been more reported attacks and abuse against Muslims, will this eventually evolve into a backlash?

I know i've asked a lot of questions, but i would like to debate about broader issues that effect us, not simply if you can mix Islam and the West.

So fire away!

Originally posted by Flyboy211
Do you think that Islam belongs in the Western civilization?

Of course it does, it does and deserves to be apart of the Western World. I have no problem with it, Islam is a religion of peace and freedom. Islam is apart of UK society and i have no problem with it, majority of my friends are muslims. Nice people and a friendly religion

I totally agree with you btw, i just wanted to know the general concensus of the board about the subject.

1,209 mosques in America, well over half founded in the last 20 years. Between 17 and 30 percent of American Muslims are converts to the faith.

This people are consider to pride in family values working to better society and hard work, they are not necessarily born Arabs but from other background.

So it is a very mark line between them and Islamic fundamentalist. They are in this country and most of them Americans so you can not just gather them and tell them to go to their countries when some of them are Americans born with not Arab blood ties.

listen, i'm pretty attentive when it comes to the news, and i means all sources of news, and this great increase in anti-muslim hostility in america is somewhere between an exaggeration and an outright lie. yes, after 9/11 a whole lot of people generalized the arab and muslim people and their was a rise in hostility, but that only really lasted for a few months. in any case, i think it's more difficult for the east to accept western ideals then it is for the west to accept eastern ideals.

[edit on 22-8-2004 by astroblade]