Back the Pope

Back the Pope. He was right the first time. Muhammad introduced the principle, rather than merely the recurrent but aberrant practice, of conversion by force of arms.

Not that any such force is necessary in Europe today, or will be necessary in America tomorrow. There are already sixty thousand Muslims classified as White British. If that number grows by fifty per cent every ten years, there will be over a million by 2100. If it grows by a much more realistic one hundred per cent every ten years, then there will be nearly 23 million. Meanwhile, the "mainstream" birth rate has now been well below replacement level for two generations, and shows every sign of remaining so. There are comparable patterns right across Europe.

America is being Islamised next. Disaffected black youth discovers a sense of identity by reference to the Islamic kingdoms of West Africa. Deep-thinking young black women understandably decide that being princesses of such kingdoms is preferable to being hip-hop "bitches" or "ho-es". Many are re-living Malcolm X’s journey from the Nation of Islam (which has influenced hip-hop profoundly) to mainstream Islam (which has itself influenced much of black music, notably jazz). And black popular music has enormous crossover appeal.

But why turn to Islam, with its harems, its shrouded women, its amputations, and all? For structured daily prayer, the setting aside of one day in seven, fasting, charitable almsgiving, and pilgrimage. For a global community of faith, continuous with Antiquity, as the primary focus of allegiance and the primary locus of identity. And for a coherent critique both of capitalism and of Marxism, with the necessary underlying affirmation of the coherence between faith and reason, and with a consequently integrated approach to art and science. Yet are these things unknown in Western civilisation? Back the Pope.