You'll never, never know

if you never, never go

The 751 No-Go Zones of France

They go by the euphemistic term Zones Urbaines Sensibles, or Sensitive Urban Zones, with the even more antiseptic acronym ZUS, and there are 751 of them as of last count. They are convienently listed on one long webpage, complete with street demarcations and map delineations.

What are they? Those places in France that the French state does not control. They range from two zones in the medieval town of Carcassone to twelve in the heavily Muslim town of Marseilles, with hardly a town in France lacking in its ZUS. The ZUS came into existence in late 1996 and according to a 2004 estimate, nearly 5 million people live in them ...

A more precise name for these zones would be Dar al-Islam, the place where Muslims rule ...

Bishop warns of no-go zones for non-Muslims

Islamic extremists have created "no-go" areas across Britain where it is too dangerous for non-Muslims to enter, one of the Church of England's most senior bishops warns today.

The Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester and the Church's only Asian bishop, says that people of a different race or faith face physical attack if they live or work in communities dominated by a strict Muslim ideology ...

His comments come as a poll of the General Synod - the Church's parliament - shows that its senior leaders, including bishops, also believe that Britain is being damaged by large-scale immigration.

Bishop Nazir-Ali, who was born in Pakistan, gives warning that attempts are being made to give Britain an increasingly Islamic character by introducing the call to prayer and wider use of sharia law, a legal system based on the Koran.

Why the Bishop of Rochester is right about 'no-go' areas

His statement about the dangers of the rise of radical Islam matches the reality of what people see in our cities and towns, where the influence of hardliners is undermining harmony and promoting segregation ...

It is not good enough just to dismiss his opinions and hope that the whole issue will go away, for the failure to achieve real integration in our society is far too serious an issue to be ignored ...

... the determination of some of my fellow Muslims to cling to certain lifestyles, customs, languages and practices has helped to create neighbourhoods where non-Muslims may feel uncomfortable, even intimidated.

Such anxieties can only be reinforced by the dominant influence of the mosques, which are often in the hands of fundamentalists and thereby promote a conscious rejection of Western values ...

The heavy Islamic influence in parts of Britain amounts to a severe indictment of the dogma of multi-culturalism, which held sway in our public institutions since the early eighties.

Instead of promoting a sense of mutual belonging and shared understanding, this doctrine has sown the seeds of division and suspicion by discouraging allegiance to a unified British identity ...

Multi-culturalism has backfired spectacularly.

Christian preachers face arrest in Birmingham

A police community support officer ordered two Christian preachers to stop handing out gospel leaflets in a predominantly Muslim area of Birmingham.

The evangelists say they were threatened with arrest for committing a "hate crime" and were told they risked being beaten up if they returned. The incident will fuel fears that "no-go areas" for Christians are emerging in British towns and cities ...

Mr Abraham said: "I couldn't believe this was happening in Britain. The Bishop of Rochester was criticised by the Church of England recently when he said there were no-go areas in Britain but he was right; there are certainly no-go areas for Christians who want to share the gospel."

But don't worry, it won't happen in Australia ...

Noble Park in lockdown

Noble Park ... has been besieged this year by North African delinquents committing assaults, street robberies and armed robberies.

Residents and retailers from the main shopping precinct were living in fear ...

Local businesswoman Joy Swanson says Noble Park had turned into a "ghetto" before the police moved in.

"It's really sad someone had to die for something to be done," Mrs Swanson said.

"The local police were doing all they could but the council were doing nothing. They wouldn't admit there was a problem." ...

Mrs Swanson, a long-term Noble Park resident and businesswoman, knows first-hand of the grief -- she and her husband have both fallen victim to the gangs.

"My husband was bashed in January while getting off the train. He was coming home from work. He was wearing his suit and carrying his briefcase. He was minding his own business. He heard swearing, turned around and they asked, 'What are you looking at?' "

Mr Swanson was punched and knocked unconscious.

"That was one of many incidents," Mrs Swanson says. "There's graffiti etched into the glass windows (of the shops). My car was broken into. Everybody's cars were broken into many times. We started closing the shop at five o'clock. A lot of the shopkeepers wouldn't go to their cars after dark. Police said, 'Don't ever walk through (nearby) Copas Park under any circumstances.'"

Europe today, Australia tomorrow?

References

The 751 No-Go Zones of France - November, 2006
Christian preachers face arrest in Birmingham - June, 2008
Bishop warns of no-go zones for non-Muslims - January, 2008
Why the Bishop of Rochester is right about 'no-go' areas - January, 2008
Noble Park in lockdown - November, 2007

See also:

Is Melbourne becoming a little Paris? November, 2007