Quote Originally Posted by blue View Post
It has nothing to do with race. Not all Arabs are muslim, not all muslims are Arab.
A very good point.

Randi,

I attend a sixth form college with a moderately high population of Pakistani Muslims. This thread got me thinking, and I believe that I see less Muslim mothers turning up to events like parents evening now than I did when I was in the first year of secondary school, nearly 7 years ago. (The sixth form is part of the school, so same place, same people, etc.)

I've been fortunate enough to sit down to dinner and attend lectures with Justice Secretary Jack Straw, and something that he once said really stuck in my mind. He believes that the popularity of more radical practices of Islam have undergone a 'boomerang' effect.

In other words, the initial immigrants to arrive and settle in the mid 20th century came looking for work. They needed to impress potential employers, not to mention keep a relatively low profile, as racism laws were not what they are now back then. They were more willing to accept a Westernised state of living.

Nowadays, stricter Islam is undergoing a revival, and I'm sure he said there is some significant correlation between the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and the number of burkhas worn by women. There is a greater sense of Western oppression against what Islam stands for, and therefore people do not want to conform.

Of course, only a theory, and only put forward to explain trends in the UK, but I wonder if something similar could be applied to Denmark?