The Strange Death of Multiculturalism

By Ian Buruma
Project Syndicate, April 10, 2007

Edited by Andy Ross

An ideology which holds that people from different cultures must live in separate communities within a country, should not take an interest in each other and must not criticise each other is both wrong and unworkable.

AR  Such an ideology is both perversely counterproductive and inherently unstable, yes.

The ideal of multiculturalism at home was echoed with an ideology of cultural relativism abroad

AR  The echo was arguably Realpolitik, but in a globalized world it has become untenable.

The Netherlands, where I was born, has perhaps been divided by the debate over multiculturalism more than any other country.

AR  The Netherlands is ripe for a most unpleasant outburst of renewed European racism.

AWhether Europeans like it or not, Muslims are part of Europe. Many will not abandon their religion, so Europeans must learn to live with them and with Islam.

AR  The apparently logical inference here is unpersuasive. What "must" we do, exactly?

Even if all of Europe's Muslims were Islamists, they could not threaten the Continent's sovereignty or its laws and Enlightenment values.

AR  They could threaten Europe's sense of well-being and create a violent backlash against appeasement of intolerant religionists.

In the end, the only thing that can truly damage European values is Europe's response.

AR  European values must evolve to meet changing realities. Twentieth-century Euroliberalism is obsolete.

Our laws prohibiting incitement to violence and insulting people for reasons of their religion are sufficient.

AR  I fear not. I still hear Islamist incitements to violence and insulting insinuations against the moral integrity of postreligionists.

Insulting Muslims simply on the basis of their faith is foolish and counterproductive.

AR  It is almost impossible not to insult people whose faith is so easily insulted, even by amusing cartoons, for example.

The trouble today is that Enlightenment values are sometimes used in a very dogmatic way against Muslims.

AR  Quite right too. Meet dogma with dogma until the Islamist dogmatists buckle under.

We must do everything to encourage Europe's Muslims to become assimilated in European societies. It is our only hope.

AR  That "must" again, and I hope not our "only" hope. I say no to assimilation of religious reactionaries. I say isolate them. Buruma is a defeatist.