Some advice for muslims moving to Flanders

[Insula Dei]

"Flemish people are punctual: if you have to do something at 9 o’clock, you do it at 9 o’clock."

"Always respect other people, no matter how different they are. If you do not do this, you
may hurt other people. This is a very sensitive issue. Discriminating against someone else
or harming them because they are different is punishable by law. It is forbidden to hurt
someone mentally or physically, including your partner or children."

"In Flanders, the law comes first, then religion. Always respect the law. Most Flemish people
consider religion as something personal. Everyone is free to choose his or her religion. It is
forbidden to impose a religion on others."

"Life in Flanders is expensive. In most families, both partners work to be able to pay
everything.

"Flemish people do not spend most of their time outdoors. They live mainly inside
their homes."

"Flemish people like peace and quiet. No noise is permitted after 10 pm."

"People do not just visit each other spontaneously. They usually make an appointment
first. They like their privacy."

"It is rare for married sons or daughters to live with their parents or parents-in-law.
Couples try to live separately as a family as soon as possible."

http://www.migreren.inburgering.be/sites/default/files/BOEKJE%20ENG_0.pdf

Just some things the Flemish minister of integration thought you should know before you left your hamlet in the Atlas mountains to come live in the civilized world.

[dead0man]

Are we supposed to be offended by this?  I'm a little confused.

[© Tweed the Younger]

Are we supposed to be offended by this?  I'm a little confused.

you are not the target audience.

[dead0man]

If I was moving to Flanders I would find the information....informative.

[Redalgo]

The document's contents are disgustingly ethnocentric.

[Kuu ülevaade olulisematest]

I was going to go and make noise at all hours of the night, but now I know better. Thanks, Flemish government!

[asexual trans victimologist]

There's so much in here that's problematic but the fact that they felt it was necessary to include the last item is...I...I could get into it but I perhaps shouldn't.

[Boris]

The no noise thing is such bullsh**t. The largest electronic music festival in the world (which I hope to be attending this year!) is held outside at Antwerp:

[Ѕenator Αverroës]

Is that Shpongle?

[Boris]

It might be. I actually wanted to see Shpongle this summer at a festival in Illinois called Summer Camp, but my cousin decided to get married that same weekend. So, alas

[dead0man]

There's so much in here that's problematic but the fact that they felt it was necessary to include the last item is...I...I could get into it but I perhaps shouldn't.

Which "last item"?

I'm really not seeing the outrage here (or why the OP thinks this is just aimed at Muslims for that matter...it clearly isn't).

[Swedish Cheese]

"Flemish people do not spend most of their time outdoors. They live mainly inside
their homes."

This one is my favourite. Aside from assumption that all savages... pardon I mean immigrants, lived in a caves previously, it also makes it sound like the Flemish are basement dwellers afraid of the sun. ^^

[Tender Branson]

This brochure implies that the typical Muslim immigrant to Flandern is like:



Actually, the most Muslims I know here and I went to school with don't give a sh*t about their religion (some of them are even agnostic or atheists like me) and their lifestyle is not different than mine.

[Gustaf]

"Flemish people do not spend most of their time outdoors. They live mainly inside
their homes."

This one is my favourite. Aside from assumption that all savages... pardon I mean immigrants, lived in a caves previously, it also makes it sound like the Flemish are basement dwellers afraid of the sun. ^^

I was just going to say. Absolutely brilliant!

[Sibboleth]

Made my... hmm... I think hour, at least. Diolch!

[I Can't Get That Sound You Make, Out Of My Head]

It's scary that Europe are more afraid of Muslims than America.

[wormyguy]

There are many muslims in Moscow

From Central Asia, the Caucasus, or elsewhere?

[pillage the village, trash the scene]

Elsewhere. They don't even ttry to learn Russian - everytime I walk through Moscow I have to listen to Uzbek, Chechen etc.

[patrick1]

Elsewhere. They don't even ttry to learn Russian - everytime I walk through Moscow I have to listen to Uzbek, Chechen etc.

I guess inconvenient things, like having Muslims live in "your" city, happen when you conquer their territory.

[wormyguy]

Elsewhere. They don't even ttry to learn Russian - everytime I walk through Moscow I have to listen to Uzbek, Chechen etc.

Umm... Uzbekistan is in Central Asia and Chechnya is in the Caucasus...

(I know more about your region's geography than you do?)

[pillage the village, trash the scene]

There are muslims from everywhere. And I'm not fan of having Caucasus in Russia, patrick1. I support "Stop Feeding Caucasus" movement. And I support strict visa regime with Caucasus and Central Asia countries.

[Vasall des Midas]

There's so much in here that's problematic but the fact that they felt it was necessary to include the last item is...

the only thing in there to make even a shred of sense?

[shua]

It's scary that Europe are more afraid of Muslims than America.

Well from that list they really should be afraid of Americans - what with all our hanging out on the porch and dropping by unannounced and making noise at all hours of the night.

[batmacumba]

This seems fitted for Brazilians more than for muslims. Actually, It makes for any mediterranean or Latin-american population, except the Portuguese.

[asexual trans victimologist]

There's so much in here that's problematic but the fact that they felt it was necessary to include the last item is...I...I could get into it but I perhaps shouldn't.

Which "last item"?

The passive-aggressive criticism of multigenerational families. It's something I'm perhaps oversensitive to.

There's so much in here that's problematic but the fact that they felt it was necessary to include the last item is...

the only thing in there to make even a shred of sense?

It makes sense, sort of, but again, it's a bit of a personal sticking point for me. There are many members of my extended family who would have been much, much better off had they not been impelled to 'try to live separately as a family as soon as possible'.