[extropy-chat] Re: riots in france

[Jack Parkinson]

Dirk wrote:
>one of the fundamental features of real integration is intermarriage.
>For example, our Black population is intermarrying at an estimated 25-40%
>per generation.
>Why isn't this happening with Moslems?

I agree about intermarriage - this is an absolute hallmark of true 
integration. However it takes a generation or two to achieve. While the 
parents have the hang ups and cultural prejudices - the kids just do what 
comes naturally.

Interesting examples - Afghan (Moslem) camel trains opened up the interior 
of Australia a century or more ago - and Moslems were the founding fathers 
and respected elder citizens of pioneer towns like Alice Springs.  The 
Liddle family which owns vast tracts of Central Australia today (truly 
Texas-sized vast) is directly descended from these pioneers and is Afghan, 
Scots and Aboriginal (in about equal proportions).

Further north, the black Chinese Ah Mat family hold corporate sway in the 
tropical regions of Australia's Northern Territory (part Aboriginal, part 
English, mostly Chinese) - and at least one family member was in the local 
parliament when I was last there. Both these families are at least part 
Moslem.

Australia is an excellent example of a place where Moslems have intermarried 
for several generations and continue to do so now. There are (or have 
recently been) a number of distinguished Moslems in the legislature, and 
this group is represented at every level in society.
I met my first Irish Moslem in Australia - and this type of cross-cultural 
marriage is common enough to be quite unremarkable, the intermixing is over 
a century old - by way of comparison, black/white liaisons were severely 
frowned upon in England up to at least the early 1960's.

This does not mean everything is lightness and joy - there are a few Moslem 
fundamentalists inciting hate in Australia too.

The trouble is - remarks like:

>It wasn't Blacks who blew up the trains in London.

Fall quite clearly into the 'hate' category as far as I can see... This kind 
of generalized remark about an entire group simply makes the ignorant 
assumption of homogeneity where heterogeneity demonstrably exists.

Any statement that begins: 'All Moslems/blacks/Irish/Poles... (insert 
favorite despised minority here) is just a confession of personal prejudice, 
bigotry and ignorance...

Damien mentioned fundamentalist zealots like Sheik Abdul Salam Mohammed 
Zoud, currently inciting violence and dissent in Australian mosques. He is a 
bigoted, ignorant, hostile blight on his religion if ever there was one. But 
you can no more condemn all Moslems for his failings than you can condemn 
all Catholics for the inquisition. People like him should be deported - if 
not jailed (inciting racial/religious violence is a serious offence in 
Australia) But we should be wary of 'collateral damage' when imputing the 
motives of individuals and aberrant groups to whole sections of the 
community.

Ok - end of rant - but how many times must this point be made? Historically, 
we have had this lesson rammed home time after time in the last hundred 
years. If even intelligent people continue to be seduced by the easy 
transference of blame to 'them' - then the next horrific genocide just looms 
that bit closer...
Jack Parkinson