Western and Muslim societies "irreconcilably different", poll finds

Here's a real news flash for you. Western and Muslim societies are different. They have different religions, different customs, and different value systems. And, according to polling data being discussed at the Metropolis Conference of the Association for Canadian Studies, most Canadians -- Muslim and non-Muslim alike -- think the differences are "irreconcilable".

Whether it’s the rise of Islamic State zealots, the killing of free-speech advocates in Paris and Copenhagen or disputes over niqabs, the polling, done by Leger Marketing, shows Canadians share in the growing global anxiety about sectarian conflict. 63% of Canadian Protestants, 62% Jews, 60% of Catholics and 46% of the non-religious believe Western and Islamic societies cannot be reconciled. Even 42% of Canadian Muslims believe the contrast between the West and Islamic cultures is too great to be bridged.

Jack Jedwab, vice-president of the ACS which commissioned the Leger polls, called the findings "a huge blow to interfaith dialogue". He said the belief of a majority of Canadians that the West and Islamic society are locked in inevitable antagonism echoes the thesis of Harvard political scientist Samuel Huntington, author of The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of Political Order. Way back in 1992, Prof. Huntington predicted -- correctly, as it turns out -- that people’s cultural and religious identities would be the primary source of conflict in the post-Cold War world.

The Pew Research Center keeps track of such things. Its new report -- "Latest Trends in Religious Restrictions and Hostilities" -- confirms that worldwide social hostilities involving religion reached a six-year peak in 2012 and have remained basically stuck at that level.
Almost three in four global citizens, Pew reports, live in countries where religion-fuelled conflicts run the gamut from vandalism of property and desecration of sacred texts to violent assaults resulting in deaths and injuries.

What are the worst countries in the world for sectarian conflict? According to the Pew index, India shares that distinction with... wait for it... Israel. Next on the "Very High" list are the Palestinian Territories, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, Tanzania, Indonesia, Egypt, Central African Republic, Iraq and Kenya.

What is the link which connects all the countries -- saving perhaps Sri Lanka -- on the list of "Very High" social hostility index? No prize for guessing that they all have Muslim majorities or large Muslim minorities.

What should we in North America learn from all t his? The polling done for the ACS revealed Canadians' concern about religion-related conflict is leading many to yearn for tighter border restrictions and less immigration from Muslim countries such Pakistan, Nigeria, etc etc etc.

Asked whether governments should deal with security concerns by "making it more difficult for people to come across national borders," 68% of Canadian Catholics agreed. So did 62% of Canadian Protestants and Jews, as well as 51% of the non-religious. Even 42% of Muslims agreed.

The two Leger polls of 2000 Canadians, including 500 born outside the country, were conducted in 2013 and 2014. They have an accuracy of plus or minus 2.9% 19 times out of 20. In general the polling results did not show marked differences between the responses of native-born Canadians and immigrants. Even the new-comers know a problem when they see one... even when they're part of it.

Today's special in Central Africa: Muslims! Deeeelicious!

As the year 2013 passed into history -- not a moment too soon, either -- Walt posted "Chaos in the CAR: an African mess gets messier", about the sectarian warfare in the Central African Republic.

In spite of the accompanying picture of an attractive Ubangi, not many people read that post. Muslims are killing Christians, Christians are killing Muslims, and no-one seems to give a skit. [Eh? Ed.]

So here we are, two weeks later, and the situation has gotten uglier. According to Associated Press and CBCNews, some of the Christians are not just killing, but eating the followers of the Prophet.

In the CAR's capital, Bangui, a Christian mob killed a Muslim man, says the CBC's Paul Wood, and one of them publicly ate from the dead man’s charred flesh. That's "charred", not "boiled", so the old cartoon image is not valid in today's Africa.

Walt regrets not having access to a video shot by bystanders, which appears to show a charred body being dragged through the street while the crowd cheered. Another video shows the mob leader, identified as Wanja Mogloire, eating one of the dead man’s legs, his cheeks full to bulging. When these videos appear on YouTube, we'll certainly bring them to you.

M. Magloire told Wood that what he did has made him famous as "Mad Dog Magloire". His motive, he said, was revenge for the killing by Muslims of several members of his family.

The CBCNews report goes on to say that, while most Christians were horrified by the "apparent" act of cannibalism, some viewed M. Magloire as a hero, shaking his hand and patting his head.

Walt feels the whole episode may have been misunderstood by those unfamiliar with African ways. It may well have started as an exercise in drawing members of both faiths together. "I know what... Let's have some Muslims in for dinner."