In order to combat what it calls a "nativist surge" in Western Europe, the U.S. State Department has created a position to coordinate efforts aimed at integrating Muslim immigrants into European society. Daniel Fried, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, recently announced the decision:

The growing Muslim presence in Europe is "a fascinating issue and one that the American government is just now trying to get its mind around," Mr. Fried told editors and reporters at The Washington Times. "It's a huge problem, we are thinking about it seriously, and we've tried to do some intellectual framing-up."

Farah Pandith, until recently a staffer on the National Security Council (NSC), moved to the State Department last week to head the new effort.

[Europe’s Muslims Find Ally in U.S., By Nicholas KralevWashington Times,February 13, 2007

How exactly any of this falls under the responsibility of the U.S. government is beyond me, but I guess our leaders have decided that destroying Western Civilization in North America isn’t enough, they want to go after it at its source.

Moreover, it’s not as though European elites need the help. Jean-David Levitte, French ambassador to the U.S., seems convinced that all he and his pals need to do is throw more money at social programs. These were his words of wisdom about the 2005 riots in France:

"The unrest that existed in poor neighborhoods had nothing to do with jihad and much to do with social conditions," he said. "That's why we have to put the emphasis on improving the social conditions — schools, jobs, better housing — and hopefully all this will trigger better absorption in the social fabric of France of this minority."

As far as I can tell, the State Department’s main contribution will be American style therapy. One program, for example, brings American Muslims to Europe in order to meet with their coreligionists and try to "break down stereotypes" and end their "self-isolation." This is necessary, Mr. Friend says, because a:

"process of alienation" is occurring within Europe's Muslim communities, and that their host countries have "no sense of integration."

"Europe has to learn to do that," he said. "You have a weird nativist surge in Western Europe, and a kind of odd panic: Aliens are here, they don't accept our values, they are a threat to our way of life and turn to radicalism."

I guess these guys think that they’ve done an absolutely wonderful job "integrating" all those immigrants who were marching in our streets last year waving foreign flags.