By Andrew L. Jaffee

Lawrence Solomon of Canada’s Financial Post predicts, “Muslim immigrants will be expelled from Europe unless they reverse the growing perception of them as a social threat,” in a must-read article (hat-tip to Ted at Israpundit):

In the clash of cultures between secular Europeans and extremist Muslims, there can ultimately be no compatibility or compromise, only loss by one side or the other of the absolute values it holds dear. European capitulation on European soil, where they remain the dominant majority, is unlikely: Europeans revel in their liberty to mock religion, to poke fun at sacred cows, to be outrageous, even to offend.

European leaders have reacted to the Muslim upset over the cartoons two ways. Publically [sic] and to buy time, they seek to calm the protesters by deploring the abuse of freedom of speech. More significantly, they seek to preserve their societies by legislating Western norms, by tightening or ending immigration from Muslim countries, by enabling the expulsion of radical imans and other Muslim activists, and by raising the spectre of mass deportations.

Solomon lists a number of steps being taken by European authorities — Danes, Dutch, French, Germans — to, for example, buttress free speech or deport Islamists:

The Netherlands, which has cut immigration in half since 2001, is deporting 26,000 rejected asylum seekers and keeping new arrivals in detention camps.

Let us hope Solomon is right, and Europeans will preserve their own cultures before it is too late. Stay tuned…

Special Report: Danish Cartoons