I’ve discussed multiculturalism and its kernel assumptions at length on this site (you can find my arguments in the archives), having time and again made the case that, once the intellectual precepts for the multicultural project are adopted, rationalized, and institutionalized, the social, cultural, and legal trajectory is set on course for legalized Balkanization, cultural and social relativism as a function of law, and a strain on the very idea of a nation-state that holds any kind of unified national identity.
In fact, truth itself, under culturally institutionalized multiculturalism, becomes a matter of contingency, irony, and solidarity, to borrow from Richard Rorty — that is, it becomes one of any number of competing narratives, with the individual identity narratives themselves a product of consensus and power fought over within identity groups, leaving those who fail to adopt the ascendant narrative “inauthentic” or apostates, or sufferers of false consciousness, etc.
The upshot of all this is that, to remain somehow consistent to the idea of multiculturalism — as opposed to the boutique multiculturalism actually practiced by professed champions of the multiculturalist and/or “diversity” projects — one is forced to concede that the endpoint is in keeping with all the adopted assumptions the project initially demanded, leaving the original dominant culture to try to argue rationally against such movements as this, in Britain:
A British Islamic group known for its provocative publicity stunts says a borough in northeast London will be the first target of a campaign to establish “emirates” in the country – Muslim enclaves where shari’a law is enforced.
Waltham Forest, an area identified in the most recent census figures available as having the fifth-biggest proportion of Muslims – 15 percent – of any local authority in England or Wales, has been singled out by radicals behind the group calling itself Muslims Against Crusades (MAC).
“As part of our Islamic Emirate Project, Waltham Forest is to be the first borough to be targeted for an intense shari’a led campaign, introducing the prospect of Islamic law for the Muslim community to abide by,” MAC said in a statement this week.
The project aims to “gradually transform Muslim communities into Islamic Emirates operating under shari’a law,” the group said.
“You are entering a Shariah controlled zone – Islamic rules enforced,” declares a poster supposedly to be distributed as part of the campaign.
The poster, depicted on MAC’s Web site, warns that alcohol, gambling, drugs, smoking, pornography, prostitution and music concerts will be prohibited.
MAC notes that Waltham Forest boasts a large number of Islamic businesses, schools and mosques, “making a transition into a thriving Islamic emirate, very real and plausible.”
Any broadside by the dominant culture against Muslim beliefs is, of course, oppressive — and as Edward Said might remind us, Anglo pronouncements on Islamist behavior are themselves a form of cultural imperialism, particularly given that Anglos are in no position to presume to understand the Islamic narrative, itself a thing that belongs to Muslims, and so cannot be circumscribed in any legitimate way by the Other, lest the Other be accused of committing violence against the heretofore subordinated group yearning to be free.
Or, in other words, the multiculturalists made this bed. Now they’re going to have to either retreat from the intellectual precepts they’ve long championed, or else remain consistent, and allow their country to be broken up into cultural zones over which they themselves have long argued (in different circumstances) they have no rightful domain.
Were it me, I’d worry less about saving face and more about the encroaching threat such a movement clearly foretells. Because the Islamists have no illusions about any “multiculturalist” project — and in fact, under such a project, were it to ever be seriously adopted, Islamists, in remaining true to their cultural imperatives, have every right to conquer and dominate the British dhimmis.
Enjoy!
does Gavin Rossdale know about this?
Probably. I’m sure it’s all Bush’s fault.
can’t wait to see how this turns out. You know that it doesn’t matter though — nobody on our side of the pond cares about european history and failed theories.
Unless we’re talking about how much we hate white people. (and yet at the same time, we loooooove Paris.)
Oh, they’ll retreat alright, because that’s what multi-culti pansies due in the face of real threats. And those precepts? They stopped championing those many moons ago. I fear for our country as I see our elite doing the same thing. Fuck England and Wales. But if those islamic sons of bitches touch Scotland, it’s on. I loves me the single malt whisky. Don’t fuck with my hooch, muhammed.
Paris has a lovely Metro system, so there’s that.
I assume that these Emirate areas also prohibit dogs, pork (dead or alive), unveiled women, homosexuals (not counting men who are on the down-low), Bibles, and women behind the wheel.
Said, I assume, is perfectly fine with Islamic criticism of the degenerate West, on account of us whities deserving it good and hard.
Said is dead like Kurt Cobain and Brittany Murphy and that guy that fell down the hole and also Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes
The Islamists, like Minnesota Democrats, will fail the day they try to take away the beer.
There are some things up with which one will not put!
Time for some drunken yobbos with knives and expertise in giving the “Glaswegian Kiss” to make a little road trip.
Maybe a few stab wounds and broken noses would “un-emirate” the area right quick.
Oh, and 15% is the point where you get to take over and impose sharia, hmm?
Culture is a fictive rationalist construct, hence nothing to be honored as worthy of recognition.
Closer to home, the NY State Gay Marriage lobby are in for one schizoid self-slap as they realize they themselves are the most zealous secular Mosque of Zero advocates.
Apparently. See Dearbornistan.
London’s is dirty and just seems cheap. I mean “mind the gap” — what’s up with that? Can’t they build the tracks to line up with the station?! Even Disney manages that…
Yes, they are trying to ban all of that.
I am loathe to agree with Crawford but he’s right: Yes, that’s precisely what’s meant with all of this.
England, actually the UK, save for Northern Ireland, is entirely a lost cause in this matter.
I think Jeff’s point regarding intent might be understated in this case: This is less a stunt than a declaration of first things, a statement of principles.
The best part is that the only English beefing about this will do so A)anonymously in online forums or B) Here.
Dalrymple said that the loss of engagement over public morals–not Southern Baptist tub-thumping, but the general social compact of “what’s right and what’s wrong”–is at the root of all this. The collapse of the UK was an inside job.
I don’t think, in other words, that we’ll see a passel of lefty women taking their tops off in protest. Multiculturalism makes a nice tweet but is less appealing when the blood is real.
Calling all Neds…
I don’t think… that we’ll see a passel of lefty women taking their tops off in protest.
They won’t risk it for the veil or Christianity or pork or Teh Ghey or smokes or concerts, but I agree that British yobs and hooligans won’t give up a single pint for multiculturalism.
And Americans?
Just try banning dogs. Try it. Dare ya.
FTFY, LTC. And yes, if your side has the greater will and willingness to use violence towards the goal, that’s about the right percentage.
Considering that the UK has made violence, even against an aggressor, illegal, I don’t see anyone fighting back.
Oh, make no mistake – you can still put the boot to somebody in the UK – you just need to have a credible gang/threat to do as much for the cops, then they let you walk.
But you – yeah, YOU, the meek-looking criminal with the unlicensed pen-knife! You’re off to the stripey hole…
If push comes to shove, I’ll chose Dar al-Harb, but there is no shariah pandering out here in the West Highlands. Urban areas with high concentrations of Moslems, however, will only see confrontations between Choudary’s morphing Islamist groups, and nationalist groups, as we saw in 2001. It won’t be pretty.