[ah123]

Originally Posted by Thor

How does this work in reality, that two religions so at odds which each other in some of the most fundamental ways will ever find a way to not just co-exist but do so well.

If you look at history, there are many examples of Muslims, Jews and Christians getting along together - Spain (around 1000-1100 AD) is one example that comes to mind. I think the problem today has more to do with the "politicization of religion" than the religions themselves

Originally Posted by Thor

In Europe this problem is getting worse yearly, and you keep seeing more radical right parties in Europe gaining more power because of their staunch xenophobic policies and tough words against Islam and immigrants that don't meet with their own views of what their country should be made up of.

I think this is a snow ball effect of what started in the 60s. In the 1960s, a lot of "guest workers" were brought over from North Africa to work as blue collar workers (steel factories, etc). When the economy went bust in the 70s/80s, there was this whole population of immigrants, predominantly Muslim, which never really "fit in" and caused a lot of friction. I grew up in Belgium and you could really see the frustration growing on both sides (and Belgium at the time was not a very multi-cultural society). When I left 20 or so years ago, the anti-immigrant movement was really coming up (at the time, it was more anti-immigrant).

And I would suggest that this will probably get worse in Europe before it gets better - statements like this

European Christians must have more children or face the prospect of the Continent becoming Islamised, a senior Vatican official has said.

do nothing to make the situation better