@Ramblers & Negative,
Do you think it wrong to want to preserve the ancient culture and ethos of where I come from, and protect it from treachery from within - being carried out, may I add by those who are very recent arrivals (within the past 10 years). If so,then by all means call me racist or any other term you think appropriate.
But perhaps you don't understand what is happening. My country was what I might call mono-ethnic/mono-cultural up until it began to do well for itself. Lots of hard work on the parts of the natives made it wealthy. Suddenly we have immigration - lots of it. Fine. I have no problem with this, so long as my place isn't going to changed overnight out of all recognition and make me feel a stranger there. I do have the right to feel at home in my own country, I assume?
It then comes to attention that people of a certain religion are allowing fundamentalist preachers into their places of worship to preach holy war and literal sacrifice of self, and that some of the younger, hot-headed men have taken up the mantle of the martyr. Some of them have even been cited as being involved in plotting attacks on America... IOW, my country is being involved in world terrorism. Time to take drastic action, no? If only to protect your country (assuming you are American).
Sorry. As a guest in my place you have to obey certain rules and behave in an acceptable way. Just like I have to do. No difference. Nor should there be special pleading on behalf of the immigrants. If they are unhappy, if it a free country and they can leave. But to work covertly against the host country is treachery.
So, there comes a point where national security has to take priority over even personal liberty. Such a time as when the state is at risk. Britain and America had to do this in World War II. At such a time personal liberties are necessarily curbed for the duration of the threat. In such circumstances it also behoves a state to protect itself, its people and its culture and ethos by taking whatever action is necessary to ensure that it is not being undermined from within. That is why German and Japanese were interned in America, and Germans and Italians in Britain from 1939 onwards. I have certainly suggested nothing more than that. Perhaps internment without trial in Guantanamo is a figment of my imagination? (No. I am not denying America's right to defend herself.)
Certainly deportation of recent arrivals who have abused the host country's hospitality, and who have no legal claim to stay, is far less traumatic than what is reported as happening in Guantanamo Bay. But I have suggested no physical reprisal on anyone. So I really don't accept your criticism. If innocent people are deported in the fight against terrorism, it is certainly unfortunate, even regrettable. But when members of a foreign grouping behave badly, they draw innocents among their own people into the webs they weave. That is hardly my fault, or the fault of my country. At least nobody will be given 40 lashes before being expelled. And such action just might spare America or some other country another unwanted attack. You can be sure that if roles were reverse, westerners would receive very short shrift under religious law in certain countries. Loss of limb, or even loss of life under the executioner's sword might well be meted out!
BTW, in my first posting on this matter I did refer to Islamism, which is a hell of a lot different to Islam. I still hold that position, although I concede that it is sometimes difficult to maintain the differentiation.
