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November 19, 2004

Gee, when we suggest assimilation, we're racists!

EU officials implore new immigrants to learn 'European values' - CONSTANT BRAND, Associated Press Writer Friday, November 19, 2004


(11-19) 10:46 PST BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) --

European Union justice and interior ministers agreed Friday that new immigrants to the 25-nation bloc should be required to learn local languages, and to adhere to general "European values" that will guide them toward better integration.

Dutch immigration minister Rita Verdonk, who chaired the meeting, said all countries agreed to make integrating newcomers a priority, considering the growing ethnic tensions as EU nations struggle to absorb a steady stream of poor, mostly Muslim immigrants.

Just this month in the Netherlands, the slaying of filmmaker Theo van Gogh by a suspected Muslim radical unleashed a wave of attacks against mosques, churches and religious schools in a country once famed for its tolerance.

Tensions also rose in Belgium, where authorities arrested a suspect Friday accused of sending death threats to a senator of Moroccan heritage who criticized radical Muslims.

"It's not like we are against immigration," Verdonk said. "If you want to live in the Netherlands, you have to adhere to our rules ... and learn our language."

Highlighting a European-wide problem, Verdonk said that some 500,000 Turkish and Moroccan immigrants in the Netherlands don't speak Dutch.

For now, integration policies across the continent vary greatly. Public concerns over immigration have fueled electoral successes for far-right parties in several European countries, including Austria and Italy, where they have joined the national government.

Many Muslims have bristled at new rules targeting immigrants that they say amount to racial profiling that is insensitive of their religion.

Yet incoming EU justice and home affairs commissioner Franco Frattini told reporters in Rome that integration had to be an essential part of an EU policy.

"We can't imagine an immigration policy that focuses only on the prevention of illegal immigration, without considering the integration of those who want to enter a European country to live and work there in full respect of the law of both the country and Europe," Frattini said.

The EU ministers also set out a list of 11 nonbinding guidelines for governments and immigrant communities, including accepting basic European values, providing employment and education, knowledge of the local language, culture and history, and open access to local health care and other public services.

Gee, guys, can we play by those rules, too?

John | Permalink | Comments (3) | Politics
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Comments on Gee, when we suggest assimilation, we're racists!
Montieth briefed on November 19, 2004 05:00 PM

So what are European Values? A massive war every 50-100 years?

Beating up on Jews if only by proxy for the Germanic peoples?

reachingout briefed on November 19, 2004 06:18 PM

I absolutley agree. We are the only country that is expected to learn a newcomers language and if we protest are called racist. That is complete BullSh*t. English is our language folks, not spanish, french or anything else. Hell, South Carolina even gives illegal immagrints DRIVERS LICENSES! for what reason are they giving these criminals licenses?(and by entering this country illegally you ARE a CRIMINAL) my take on illegal immigrants= round 'em up, boot 'em out, build a really, really big wall with lots of spikey things to keep 'em OUT, guards on the on side of the wall, shoot to kill anyone who actually makes it over the wall. anyone wanting to enter this country, do it LEGALLY. otherwise, beat it. Its reprehensible that these illegals (i live in atlanta where we are SWARMED with them) can break all kinds of laws and there is no deporting of them. there is just too many, the police cant handle them all. INS is worthless, they dont have enough man power to do anything!

America. Love it, Learn it or LEAVE IT.

zoomlens briefed on November 20, 2004 05:10 AM

I just wrote about this same thing. It is unbelievable that they can do that, and if we did the ACLU and the leftists would go into total convulsions. I think the thing is they are secular and totally amoral, and that is what they are protecting..the free speech to be grey instead of black and white. We, on the other hand, have traditional values that are based on morals and view freedom of religion as a plus, not freedom from religion as the EU does. I think that is one of the reasons that they hate Bush and that they hated Reagan. Both of them were moral and stood for OUR values, while they loved Clinton...and his values?? So! This time we need to use the EU as an example of enlightened and sophisticated culture and follow them by insisting that American values become something worth holding dear and, yes, gasp, that American values need to be important to immigrants or they don't get into our culture at all. Did I mention that I just wrote about this?! I am really steamed that the EU acts as if we are barbarians and they are so much better. They are the ones who are morally bankrupt, not us. But they are right about this tact. I DO hope that some nice conservative politician has the intestinal fortitude to stand up for America in the same manner that the EU is standing up for itself. Who knows! Maybe this flap over Van Gogh will actually make them come to their senses. Here's hoping.