Oh, come on. Do you think that Muslims moving to the U.S. don't have to give up anything? All immigrants have to be give up something, but they don't have to give up all: their own heritage, culture, and beliefs. That sounds melodramatic.

It's as simple as this: when you move to a new country, you must adopt the local culture. That does not mean that you must give up your original culture entirely. No one said that they have to be incompatible. If you fail to adopt the culture of your new country, you are, essentially, insulting your hosts... and you will be ostracized in return, which is the natural human response in this situation.

I really do think there is a qualitative difference between the U.S. and Europe in this regard. Europe seems to be lurching from banning some forms of Muslim identity outright (veils and head scarves) to banning anyone from saying anything bad about Islam. In the U.S., we insist that Muslims abide by the same laws as everyone else, and that's pretty much it. They don't have to dress like us or adopt the same social mores. We are also used to people with strong religious beliefs freely expressing their opinions, because we still have a lot of practicing Christians, unlike Europe. So strongly held religious beliefs don't seem so intimidating to us.

Yes, I know this is all a generalization, but from the anecdotes I read in the press, your comments, and anecdotes from some Europeans living in the U.S. I've talked to, I think there is some truth to it.

i) the U.S. is protected by two vast oceans, and Canada and Mexico were never a threat. By contrast, Europe has been under siege by Islam various times, starting with the conquest of the Iberian peninsula in the 8th century, to fighting the Otomans in the East for various centuries. Mass immigration feels more like an invasion in this case.

ii) the U.S. is much more multicultural and multi-ethnic than each specific European country. There's enormous variety as a whole in Europe, but each country tends to have its own identity. Sweden, for instance, is one of the least genetically diverse countries in the world.

iii) in Europe, Church and State tend to be more separated. Some years ago, Germany's federal government wanted to ban Christian crosses from Bavarian public schools, as it violated the law, and there was huge outcry. Now they do the same to Islamic veils, and people say it's Islamophobia. The truth is: the law applies to all, and Muslims, if they are citizens, must abide and do not deserve special treatment.

In the end, there's also the arrogance and pride. Europe did rule the world for centuries. Now the U.S. is in charge, but we still feel like we know better. We certainly are not going to adopt the cultures of Muslim immigrants who come to Europe because their countries are failed states. We know better than all, so whoever comes to Europe either plays by our rules or can go somewhere else. It's a bit strict, but it's fair. It applies to all, regardless of religion and ethnicity.