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Vineyards said:
Daydreamer, we have a Polish village in Istanbul. The village is populated bt those who escaped from a war and sought asylum in the Ottoman Empire. The sultan granted them a village which happens to be located in one of the enviable parts of modern day Istanbul. These people did not change a bit since the first day.
They observe the basic duties of citizenship in Turkey and continue to live on the way they learned from their ancestors. They are obviously Christian and therefore strangers in this newfoundland. We Turks are happy to eat at the restaurants and learn about the Polish customs they have preserved over centuries. Asking those people to become Turkish would mean oppressing them. I personally don´t want any non-Turkish person within this society to become a Turk eventually. There are Russians, Japanese, British and American people living their lives the way they want to. African Turks who have gained citizenship have not become Turkish at all. They are still African complete with their traditions and music and they are way nicer this way. What you are singing praises for is a misconception common among the citizens of richer countries. It is what the black population in America remembers with awe and hatred. Everybody wants to hold on to their cultures and everybody has a right to do so.
As a matter of fact I have seen Polonezkoy and, much to my disappointment, I haven;t met any Polish-speaking people there. I talked to a waiter in a "Polish" restaurant that didn´t serve Polish food about the owners. He said they were of Polish origin but assimilated and considering themselves Turkish. The only time they´d use Polish was when their family came for a visit. Apparently throughout the years they intermarried with Turks and now are Turks with Polish roots. I found that perfectly normal. They are the way you may want to see immigrants integrate - they take upon them their new homeland´s duties, speak the language and, at the same time, preserve part of their heritage that does not stand in opposition to that country´s law.
Imagine a one-million flow of immigration into an Islamic country (and I do not consider Turkey to be Islamic but secular with a twist towards Islam). Laws of that country demand proper dress code for women, male assist during walks and ban on alcohol. Now, say the immigrants are Polish, they find that barbarian and women walk around in short skirts and show cleavage, smoke in the streets, drink alcohol and demand supplies of pork after Sunday mass. Would the native population be tolerant towards such behaviour? Would they "respect" their right to a different lifestyle? I seriously doubt it.
Nobody´s asking immigrants in Europe to forget their ancestry and heritage, what many Europeans hold against Muslim immigrants is that they don´t respect the freedoms granted by each country´s constitution. Trudy put it really nicely - they don´t have to like that, they don´t have to do it the same way, but they should accept it that other people are free to live according to the rules of the country they grew up in. If you move to a different country it is you who should adjust. If in your country you can smoke pot legally, you can´t expect to be able to do it in other countries.
As for some Arabic or Turkish types chasing their women in the streets calling them "whores". Well, I am sure there is a law paragraph covering this in this country and that person really belongs in a prison rather than the streets. Aren´t there any Dutchmen out there molesting women and therefore deserving punishment. How come do you expect these people to be as educated as you are when they obviously lack any sort of education. The ethnic paranthesis there is just serves the purpose of putting the blame on cultures. These people would indeed be problems in their own countries too.
Fair point about education. We should now think why immigrants from poorer countries tend not to, with exceptions of course, care about education. In "western" countries educatioon (primary and usually secondary) is compulsory so it can´t be said that immigrants, in particular their children, are not given a chance. Most countries, if not all, run FREE language courses for adults. Social welfare usually assists people financially with different courses aimed at gaining qualifications. All you have to do is to make use of that help. Besides, there are laws against discrimination of immigrants. Yet, still, it is the host countries that are continually criticised for their lack of understanding and respect.
I won´t provide you with a link, but when we talk about respect, all human beings are legally granted respect as long as they live by the law. Even if they break it they are entitled to it. If you claim that making fun of a religion is a sign of lack of respect then I believe it is lack of respect to criticise my beliefs that make me ridicule religions. It works two ways. I have right to believe Mohamet/Jesus/Buddha are as good a subject of jokes as anything else and you have the right to consider them Gods and pray to them. How can we reach agreement without violating each other´s right to freedom of belief?
I might be a spoilt post-communistic central European but I am absolutely positive that making fun of other people´s sacrum doesn´t mean lack of respect for those people. I´ll write it again:
Making fun of religions does not mean you don´t respect other people´s right to believe. You may like and respect a person but still find what he or she believes in funny, just like you may like your friend for being a great dancer but make fun of his or her singing.
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Ladies and gentlemen may I present exhibit A - 
