Tuesday, September 21, 2010

European Turks splintering away from the mainstream

The European public and European leaders reacted with concern when the Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan opposed assimilation of Turks in Europe, specifically Germany. In 2008 Erdogan said:
I repeat... assimilation is a crime against humanity [..] I explained over there (Germany) that they must differentiate very clearly between assimilation and integration.
Multi-culturalist ideologues hold that society is coming together and that national, religious and ethnic boundaries are being erased. Indeed, some boundaries are fading. Differences between religious denominations fall away as religion is taken less serious by Europeans. Regions are losing their distinct flavour as regional dialects, customs and building styles are dissapearing and replaced by individualism and blander modernist styles. However it is becoming increasingly clear that the Multi-culturalist story is overlooking new and widening chasms causing sharply separated social groupings.

There is evidence that societies in Europe are not coming together, but falling apart. Children are not going to school together. The phenomenon of "black schools" has been a contentious issue in The Netherlands for years. Some examples across Europe:

Belgium: Esther reported that a Flemish school set up separate classes for immigrants and ethnic Flemish children in response to parent requests. Read: Belgium: Apartheid in Schools.

Danmark: in two other reports Esther showed Danish schools are splitting up classes as well and the issue is alive in Sweden too. Read Danish Apartheid 1 and Danish Apartheid 2.

Germany: in his recent book "Deutschland schafft sich ab" German banker Thilo Sarrazin addresses the issue in Germany.

Austria: Gates of Vienna mentions an Viennese school with 98.5 percent foreigners in its classes.

The Netherlands: anecdotal evidence. A Turkish friend told me that the Turkish community in The Netherlands has become self-contained. He and his friends agree that they hardly meet Dutch people outside the workplace. "Dutch people do not want to know us anymore".

The setting up of a separate society does not only happen at the levels of daily social interaction the school-going anymore. Esther reports today Turkish doctors setting up clinics aimed at the market of Turks living in The Netherlands. The clinics see an opportunity to deliver their services in a way that suits Turks better, as communication with Dutch health care professionals is deemed problematic.

If society was really coming together as the Multiculturalists keep insisting, would there be so many examples of social separation accross Europe?

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