This is indeed an excellent column. However, I do disagree with Mark regarding his key point.

Mark finds it alarming that the vast majority of Muslims polled viewed themselves as Muslims first and British second. I don't have the slightest problem with that. Any good practicing Christian would view themselves as Christian first and American second. And I think devout Jews would also put their primary allegiance to Judaism first. After all, if we look at the Ten Commandments (yes, still 10 and they're not suggestions), doesn't the first one command us to put God first? And surely religion that has any substance is going to demand prime allegiance.

Thus, the problem is not that religionists put following their God first. Rather, the problem is how the religion views the relationship between their religion and the State. Therein lies the problem -- the fundamental difference between Pan-Islamism and Christianity (or Judaism) and the danger of the former.

In particular, the Pan-Islamists deny the legitimacy of citizenship to a secular state; they want to overthrow any non-Islamic government and subject everybody by force to Sharia (as they interpret it). Christians and Jews accept the legitimacy of citizenship in a secular state .

Muslims give their allegiance to that nebulous concept of "the nation of Islam." They will unite to face their common enemy--all of us who are not Muslims.

Islam divides the world into Muslims and "the rest." Muslims don't intend to assimilate in our Western societies.

Civil Truth --

AOW makes the point in her comment about the "Nation of Islam" which is the best way to sum it up.

Believers in other religions, even those who say they are Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Sindhis, whatever, first, then Americans, Brits, etc still also consider themselves citizens of the countries in which they live and respect the sovereignty of those countries.

Muslims don't: They believe that the entire world should belong to Islam, and that the global Islamic community possesses the only true sovereignty.

AOW --

Immigrants assimilating into a host population is the keystone of integrity that keeps a free country flourishing. The fact that Muslims not only will not assimilate but in fact foment hostility to their host governments and the "nonbelievers" who have accepted them into their societies is a strong enough argument to keep them out. Events in France(spit!) and England have served as perfect examples of this.

The fact that American Muslim leaders steadfastly refuse to declare violence in the name of Islam an abomination of any kind speaks as loudly as if they gave it their blessing.

Looks like we're all on the same page...

I agree. :-)