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Wilders said that without swift, bold action, Islamic fundamentalism will topple the country's democratic system.

"The Netherlands has been too tolerant to intolerant people for too long," he said. "We should not import a retarded political Islamic society to our country. There is nothing to be ashamed of to say this. It's not Islam. I speak out against the facts."

In Brussels, Belgium, European Union leaders met Friday to discuss immigration, one of Europe's most pressing and sensitive issues. EU justice and interior ministers agreed to demand that new immigrants learn the language of their adopted countries and adhere to "European values" to guide them toward better integration.

Even as the number of immigrants arriving in Europe falls due to tougher policies, led by a sharp drop in the Netherlands, Wilders said closing the borders isn't enough. Newcomers should be forced to integrate.

"If in a mosque there is recruitment for jihad, it's not a house of prayer, it's a house of war. If it's not a house of prayer, it should be closed down," he said.

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Originally posted by leftcoastguy:

Wow, the Netherlands really appear to be in a major crisis. I wonder what lessons there are here for Canada.

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I think the lesson is that promoting the integration of immigrants into Canadian culture is not something we should be avoiding. Remember that there is a world of difference between integration and assimilation. Integration means that although keeping their language and customs, immigrants participate in Canadian society. Some of my best friends came from immigrant families; and I can tell you that if their families did not integrate (become involved in our community, encourage their kids to join the local Scout Troop, etc.), then I would never have gotten to know these individuals because I am a Canadian-born white person. And I have also gone to schools where ethnic cliques existed. I'm sure there were people I would have probably wanted to get to know, but never got the chance because they don't talk to non-Asians or non-Lebanese people or whatever. As far as I can tell, this is what the Dutch are trying to deal with.