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Muslim Groups May Gain Strength From French Riots

(Wall Street Journal) John Carreyrou - Islamic organizations like the Tabligh, which advocates strict adherence to Islam as well as disengagement from society, stand to benefit from the riots. These organizations are positioning themselves as mediators who can bring back the order the government has been unable to restore. These groups don't preach violence, but they do advocate that Muslims should identify themselves with their religion rather than as citizens. Effectively, they are promoting a separate society within a society, and that brand of Islamist philosophy is seeping into many parts of Western Europe. The violence in France is a stark reminder that reaching an accommodation with Islam is one of the Continent's most pressing problems. Low birth rates and Europe's geographic position just north of the Muslim world means that increasing numbers of its citizens will be Muslim in the future. Muslims account for an estimated 5% or more of the populations of France, The Netherlands, and the UK, and are heavily concentrated in and around big cities.
2005-11-08 00:00:00
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