But Merkel is a different matter entirely. With this latest statement she has joined the ranks of my only two respected Christian politicians along with Tony Blair.
This multicultural approach has failed, utterly failed.
Merkel isn't really the first to say it, the BNP has been railing at immigrants for years, Geert Wilders has hated Muslims for as long as they've been a serious issue in Europe. But this is is the first time that not only a mainstream politician has joined the cause, but no less than the Head of Government of the most powerful country of Europe.
I know that last statement must seem a little extreme, especially for those who still hold bitter the history of the World Wars, but Germany now stands on the largest population and economy of Europe, has allied with France to form the strongest political front on the centre right in the World, and dedicates more armed forces to NATO, EU and UN forces combined than any country outside North America. It's a little late to be warning of a repeat of the wars, that breaking point has been and gone. Germany straddles Europe like the US straddles NATO, the two are so closely linked as to become synonymous.
To so brazenly confront the problem of immigration and islamification is new in European politics, at least inside the EU, Switzerland has never had a problem with it. It comes after the banning of the burka begins it's inevitable stride across western Europe, first France, then Belgium. It comes after the BNP makes it's first gains in British Politics... ever. It comes after Turkey falls to the non-secular AKP and is thrown back from attempts to join the EU by France. But this is the first time that multiculturalism itself has been so targeted, at least from someone of such high regard.
Western Europe prides itself for it's tolerance, liberalism and multiculturalism, especially in the social services capitals of Scandinavia and the Celtic nations. But there is a big difference between what governments attempt to portray and press gang their populations into and what the people think. Denmark is one of these bastions of tolerance, until muslim riots in the wake of the cartoon controversy led to even greater, more violent anti-muslim marches and riots.
Islam has met it's match. After decades of slowly bending governments and communities to permit them and accept them and their inability to integrate with European life, those same communities have snapped and struck back. I'm not saying there is no such thing as the moderate, liberal muslim, that would be deeply bigoted. However these are not the concern of the communities, as they are part of the communities. What bothers the communities of Europeans are the Muslims who are communities as of themselves, speak foreign languages, follow foreign customs, socialise only with people of their ethnic backgrounds, support a separate Sharia courts, march against the processions of the coffins of British servicemen and oppose higher student fees, not to prevent debt, but to protect Koran-based values.
These communities are what face the governments of Europe, who have been too tolerant, too liberal, for too long. France has faced anti-government and anti-police Muslim riots on a scale making it's famous student riots seem tame. Britain has faced a wave of anti-war and anti-patriotic sentiment fanned by Islamic extremist parties who themselves fund the training of suicide bombers. Germany has faced one of the largest mosques in the world being planned in one of their major cities, an intensely Christian and Conservative city at that.
Multiculturalism has failed, because nations are not multicultural, they are one community. This is something immigrants need to be faced with when they enter those nations. They are not coming in to set up their own communities under the protection of another they refuse to assimilate with. Refugees are not sheltered so they can rant and rail against the system they have fled to. Preachers are not tolerated so they can raise extremist sentiment against the nation they abide in.
France has done it already. The Roma, who have so refused to integrate and become French despite their use of French protection, law and order, health system and nationality, are on their way out. Germany has spoken out against the cultures which want all the benefits of the west without subscribing to their values or identity.
It's about time Europe's rulers put out a message to those who come and refuse to become that which they inhabit. Go home. You're not welcome.
This will never be your homeland, with your values, your language and your laws and rights. If you want this to be your country, it will be with our values, our language and our laws and rights.
