The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it - Henry David Thoreau

Saturday, January 27, 2007

There’s a very funny scene in a recent episode of The Simpsons where Homer is ordered by Marge to clean the garage while she and the kids go out.  When they get back they find Homer lying on his back with the garage door clamping down on his neck.  In the back seat of the car Bart turns to Lisa and says, “Time to open that envelope I gave you this morning.” Lisa takes out the contents which is a child’s drawing of Homer, on his back, with the garage door on his neck.  Written underneath in Bart’s handwriting are the words “This is what will happen.”

Some things are inevitable, no matter how obvious and preventable they are.  Such as the case with Europeans and Islam.

The number of Germans who have converted to Islam has increased fourfold within one year—despite the negative perception of Islam among the general public.

But why the conversions?

Monika Wohlrab-Sahr, a sociologist of religion, has investigated converts in Germany and in the United States. She says the “overcoming of a personal crisis” is often a prime motive, frequently in combination with a search for the Other: “People want to be different,” she says.

And, right now in the world, there’s no mainstream group more different to the norms of society than Islam.  But wait, there’s more!

Salim Abdullah speaks of “defiant reactions” in the face of the constant criticism brought against Islam, although he’s also familiar with converts who appreciate the “clear rules for behavior” provided by the Koran.

What?  You mean a country with a strong authoritarian tradition would find its citizens becoming attracted to a religion with an even stronger authoritarian tradition?  A country which invented industrialized antisemitism is now finding more and more of its citizens attracted to the most antisemitic religion in the world?  I’m shocked, I tell you, shocked!

I’m sure the mullahs are running their hands together in glee at the thought of getting ahold of I.G. Farben’s incinerator technology.

To our European friends:  I am handing you a metaphorical picture of you and your family forced to submit to Sharia law.  “This is what will happen.”