Imperial Hangover

While reading a well-written Canadian magazine called, Western Standard, recently I was intrigued by an article entitled, "AKA 'civil war' " , which focused on the Muslim neighborhoods in France that have been designated as Zones Urbaines Sensibles (Sensitive Urban Zones) known as "ZUS". ZUS areas are, "urban and suburban areas where essential services like the police and fire departments cannot go without risk of violent attack by mobs of Arab youths" (Western Standard, February 12th). In fact the article notes that these mobs actually set fires to attract fire trucks so they can attack them.

Then the article travels across the English Channel to the United Kingdom to note that a "mega-mosque" is being built in East London. This mosque is apparently tied to the Saudi-backed Wahhabi fundamentalism movement. The planned capacity of the mosque is for 40,000 people but can be easily expanded to allow for 70,000 people.

By contrast the largest Christian church in the United Kingdom is the Anglican Cathedral of Liverpool which can hold 3,000 people.

3,000 versus 70,000 now that is a substantial difference!!

As the United Kingdom and France try to comes to grips with their influx of immigrants they need to consider this as the law of unintended consequences taking action resulting from their imperial pasts. Whether an empire is British, French, or Islamic it is not a form of government that expands individual liberties or improves quality of life.

We need city-states with free trade agreements,

Todd