While many nations are struggling with the issue of massive immigration and separatist cultures, the occasional bright spot emerges.
From The Wall Street Journal:
"We're all victims here," said Ali Saleh, a Muslim resident and member of the Bell Association to Stop the Abuse, which hosts the community meetings. "Sad to say, but that's what's bringing us together."
A Pew Research report released last month showed 30% of Americans have a positive view of Islam, compared with 42% who held a positive view in 2005. Muslim-American leaders have urged Muslims to counter that image by becoming more visibly involved in political life, but with limited success. Bell has the potential to become the kind of turnaround Muslim-Americans are after as the nation debates their place in American society. [full story]Virtually every group involved in mass immigration has been the target of some sort of distrust... being different does that. What has made Muslim immigration somewhat unique is that it has been seen as a direct and violent threat to this nation... and other host nations. Muslims have been their own worst enemy in this regard. Signs proclaiming "death to infidels" go a long way in securing this distrust and making any positive relationships exceedingly difficult.
With that in mind, the Muslims in Bell are not your typical Muslim immigrant in the mind of most Americans. The Lebanese have traditionally been a most non-Islamist Muslim group... more western than traditional Arab in their approach to life. Secular matters are far more important to most Lebanese than concern about praying five times a day and converting infidels. Becoming part of an American community is far more natural for them than the typical immigrant from Yemen or Saudi Arabia.
Bell, California is fortunate to have this group of Muslims... instead of this group... which can only trigger a backlash.
