by Eddie Tafber

Created on: September 11, 2009   Last Updated: September 12, 2009

I would like to begin by making clear that I am not a xenophobe, nor do I support any sort of racism against any particual minority, whether it's in a racial or in a cultural basis. I am a lover of multiculturalism, and some of my greatests experiences in my life have occured when sharing and learning with people from different cultural backgrounds than mine.

I would also like to acknowledge that I am myself an immigrant. I live in a country different than the one where I was born and raised. I currently reside in a city where the diversity of cultures is enriching, where tolerance towards all races and traditions alike is widespread, and where multiculturalism is experienced harmoniously.

Once said that, I am a strong believer that immigrants are the ones who should adapt to the country that they immigrate to, and it's not the country who should adapt to them. It is by all means understandable that immigrants can keep their cultural traditions alive in their new home country, as long as those traditions don't disrupt the normal way of life that locals have developed for generations. And of course, the local authorities are there to ensure and enforce that such balance is kept day by day.

Welcome to France, a country that has historically played a key role in shaping western culture (remember, for example, the ideals of the French revolution "libert, galit, fraternit"?). It is undoubted that French people have achieved a rich cultural identity that sets them apart from other nations, and throughout the centuries, their way of living has thrived and has benefited their population. To prove that, let's remember that France has been, and still is, one of the most influential countries in human history.

But France in the 21st century is different than France in the past. Its society has welcomed immigrants from various cultural backgrounds, most remarkably from Muslim origin, to the point that France is nowadays home to the largest Muslim population in Western Europe. Since Muslim immigrants and citizens alike enjoy the same rights and freedoms as any other French in France, there should be little or no doubt that this country has been overly welcoming towards immigrants, and continues to be so.

However, what happens when immigrants try to impose their own traditions and laws in their host country, even when that creates a significant clash with the local costumes? France is a good example of that scenario: A country that has preached laicism must ensure that such

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