Melting Pot versus Multiculturalism

All countries have their myth, and a powerful one is the ‘American Dream’ – the belief that, regardless of origins or class, every American citizen can rise from the humblest origins to the top. This was epitomised in the saying “From Log Cabin to White House”.

The original thirteen colonies which metamorphosed into the new-born United States of America were mostly inhabited by people of British stock and their descendants. All were pioneers; many had thankfully left Europe behind to escape political and religious persecution. They sought to live as they chose, and to worship God in their own ways [in the plural, because there has always been an abundance of Christian sects]. Early observers of the young Republic, from de Tocqueville, Captain Hall, Mrs Trollope, and Dickens, onwards, reported on a society already quite strange to European eyes – one which aspired to equality and success. There were, of course, blemishes – notably slavery – but the attraction America exerted drew increasing thousands of emigrants from Europe, especially in the half-century following the largely failed revolutions of 1848.

The thriving and expanding United States welcomed these “huddled masses yearning to breathe free” with open arms. In consequence, America became, as Zangwill memorably said, “God’s Crucible, the great Melting-Pot where all the races of Europe are melting and re-forming.”

Significantly, it was also Zangwill who said: “The law of dislike for the unlike will always prevail. And whereas the unlike is normally situated at a safe distance, the Jews bring the unlike into the heart of every milieu, and must therefore defend a frontier line as large as the world.”

Substitute “the Muslims” for “the Jews”, and his prophetic words portray the dilemma of not only America, but also of Europe today. As regards the Jews, Zangwill was only partly correct, as many if not most Jews in both the Old World and the New have striven to blend into the fabric of the societies they live in whilst at the same time preserving their distinctive religion and culture. Islam, however, does not seek to blend – it wishes to alter, and eventually to dominate. Muslims are not willing candidates for the Melting Pot.

This has become increasingly apparent over the past couple of decades. In Europe, immigration of non-Europeans in considerable numbers began in the 1970s, and was generally welcomed as a partial solution to labour shortages. Europe, and particularly Britain, has a long tradition of providing a refuge for those fleeing political and religious persecution; and this tradition is still strong. In nearly all cases, those who found asylum on our shores have repaid us by blending in with our traditions and way of life, whilst preserving their own distinctive cultural flavours. It is this successful blending of difference in a generally tolerant society which gave birth to the rosy notion of ‘multiculturalism’ as a seamless coat of many colours.

The arrival within the past two decades of large numbers of Muslims has however rent this cosy garment asunder. For Muslims are not interested in blending easily with our open, tolerant society – much less in assimilating. Their faith makes this impossible, because Islam knows no distinction between what it teaches is Allah’s law and the law of the land. They aspire to impose their own religious standards and shariah laws, not only upon members of their own community, but ultimately upon all the rest of us ‘infidels’. The contention of our mainstream political leaders and the preachers of multiculturalist orthodoxy that Islamist extremists are misguided fanatics perverting their own religious teachings is an ostrich position.

I may be wrong about this. I hope I am. But the deafening silence from the huge majority of ‘moderate’ Muslims who, we are assured, dissociate themselves from the extremists does not inspire confidence. I wait to hear from them, and would welcome doing so. Meanwhile, I fear that looking for the silent majority of moderate Muslims is as useful as hunting the Snark.