Ramadan Evenings

Ramadan 2010 has begun. The front page of the largest newspaper in the city where I live had the headline with a photo of Muslims at prayer. I would imagine that papers all over America announced the event, something that would have been unthinkable a few years ago. Ramadan will end on September 10. The City of Paris will be celebrating the Islamization of Europe during the final week of Ramadan. The following article is posted at Islamisation, via Novopress:

In early September, the Institute of Cultures of Islam (ICI) will celebrate the Islamization of Europe. At 19 rue Léon, in the heart of la Goutte d'Or, the Parisian neighborhood that aroused the collective French consciousness last June 18 when it became the symbol of Muslim imperialism.

Note: You will recall that a picnic ("apéro") with wine and sausage was to be held in this neighborhood by French patriots who wanted to state their preference for French customs and French food. They were forced to move their picnic (minus the wine) to the Arc de Triomphe instead.

The ICI, "the cultural establishment of the City of Paris" and its mayor, Bertrand Delanoë, will hold Ramadan Evenings ("Veillées Ramadan") from September 2 - 10.

On the agenda of this celebration, the fifth of its kind: "Immersion in European Islam". The program, as announced today by the website Afrik, sets the tone: "With 32 million Muslims, 15 million of whom are in the European Union, Islam has been, for centuries, an integral part of European history." They forgot to add that in centuries past, the relationship between this extra-European religion and Europe has been, essentially, one of conflict, in the struggle between Christianity and the goals of conquering Islam. Nor does the program explain that this "integral part" was artificially created thanks to 20th century immigration.

The ICI is apparently hoping to develop in one month an idyllic vision of Islam, that will "show how Islam has continually inspired European artists and nourished European culture (cultures) from both an artistic and sociological point of view". It is also an opportunity for the ICI to launch a cycle of discussions entitled "Let's stay alert!"

Against the totalitarian Islam of the European continent?

Poster at top from Veillées-Ramadan.