Much of the fear of Islam is simply prejudice against immigrants. Dislike of Muslims is in this respect no different from dislike of any other migrant group, be it Jews at the turn of the last century, Poles at the turn of this one, Romanians and Bulgarians now, and lots of other peoples in between.
Racial prejudice is always a despicable trait, especially when it hardens into hatred (though it is not to be confused with opposition to mass immigration, a view that is held by all ethnic groups). It has inflamed some of the reporting and corrupted some of the coverage of the halal meat controversy.
[A COMMENT] The issue is one of integration. Many groups of people have come to these islands over the centuries and generally adapted to the social and cultural norms of their newly adopted home and enhanced our economy and culture.
What we have seen with recent mass immigration is the lack of integration and the attempt by immigrant communities to continue their own utterly alien cultural and social practices with little regard, and some cases, contempt for the host population. [ConservativeHome] Read more
