Is Britain the New Lebanon?

You can’t sign on to your social media account or open a newspaper without seeing another horrifying account of the brutality imposed by Islamic terrorist organizations like ISIS, Hamas, Hezb'allah, Boko Haram, and al-Qaeda, to name a few.  Modern-day terrorist groups are up front and astonishingly clear about their motives – to destroy the infidel and establish an Islamic caliphate.

However, overt acts of terrorism are not the only method used by Islamists to accomplish the goal of expanding the influence of Islam throughout the world.  History teaches us that Islamists are particularly adept at surreptitiously undermining Judeo-Christian values and using the liberal values of tolerance, multiculturalism, and free speech to take over democratic societies.

Lebanon is a prime example.  Although currently a downtrodden state infiltrated by Hezb'allah, Lebanon was at one time a pro-Western bastion of economic prosperity.  Tourism, agriculture, democracy, and education flourished in the 1960s, and Beirut was coined the “Paris of the Middle East,” a reflection of Lebanon’s economic success.  Democratic Lebanon freely welcomed Muslim immigrants from throughout the Middle East and allowed foreigners to study at its universities and gain employment in its thriving economy.

The fate of Lebanon took a drastic turn when the population balance between Maronite Christians and Sunni and Shia Muslims began to shift in the favor of the Muslims.  It was a combination of heavy immigration and a high Muslim birth rate that helped make Muslims the new majority.  Black September worsened the situation, when Palestinians fleeing from Jordan found refuge in Lebanon in the 1970s.  (Ironically, it was not another Muslim nation, but the Christian nation of Lebanon that took in the Palestinians.)

The Lebanese Muslims and Palestinians, led by Yasser Arafat’s Palestinian Liberation Organization, joined together to accomplish their objective – to annihilate Israel and establish a caliphate.  Jihad was declared, marking the beginning of the Lebanese Civil War, and countless atrocities against the Christians and Jews ensued.

The influx of Muslims in Lebanon is strikingly similar to what is happening today in the Western world, especially in Britain. In 2011, the Muslim population in the UK was 2.7 million, up from 1.6 million in 2001.  Muslims now constitute nearly 5% of the general population and 10% of children under 5 years old.

Although Britain is one of the most accepting countries regarding Muslim immigration, the Muslim immigrants don’t show their appreciation.  A Pew 2014 survey showed that 26% of the British had "unfavourable" attitudes toward Muslims, compared to 46% in Spain, 53% in Greece, and 63% in Italy.  Yet, paradoxically, Pew research in 2006 discovered that Muslims in Britain were actually more hostile to Western values than German, French, or Spanish Muslims.

In pursuit of the multicultural aspirations that have dominated Western culture and media for the past several decades, the U.K. has turned a blind eye to this problem.  As the Muslim population has grown, so have Muslim demands – and the tolerant and fair British have been happy to oblige.

The side-effects of this cultural invasion are alarming.  A recent poll shows that one in seven young British adults has “warm feelings” toward the Islamic State.  Mohammed is now the most common baby name in the U.K.  Members of the Muslim Brotherhood have found a safe haven in London.  A prominent imam in Britain, Imam Choudary, led a campaign called the Islamic Emirates Project, with the goal of converting British cities into independent Islamic states ruled by sharia law.  (At least 85 sharia courts currently already function parallel to the British legal system.)

As free societies, we allow immigrants into our countries at alarming rates; we open our borders and make concessions to accommodate the cultural demands of minority groups.  But once Muslims gain the upper hand, they undermine our Judeo-Christian values, as seen in Lebanon.  Could the increase in the Muslim population lead to a bigger problem for the U.K. down the road? Will Britain become the new Lebanon?

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