It’s not about values. It’s about control. And a mirror nobody wants to look into.

Let’s stop pretending the melting pot isn’t cracked.

Seriously. This whole idea that Muslim immigrants just need a little “orientation class,” a halal butcher nearby, and a mosque or two to become seamless citizens of Paris or Vienna? Cute. But wrong.

Integration fails not because Muslims don’t want to integrate. It fails because host societies often don’t really mean integration. What they actually mean is: Assimilate. Become one of us. Quietly. Invisibly. Without making us uncomfortable. And preferably leave your hijab, Arabic accent, and Friday prayers at the door.

That’s not a welcome mat. That’s a trapdoor.

But wait—some guy on Twitter will shout, “They don’t share our values!” And sure, maybe there are value gaps to talk about. But do we ever ask whose values are being protected here? And from what?

Let’s get one thing straight: Muslim immigrants don’t beam in from Mars. They’re human. They bleed, dream, text emojis, hate their alarm clocks, love their kids. They’re not a monolith. Some drink, some don’t. Some pray five times, some barely know how. Sound familiar? Like every group ever.

But Western societies—especially the old Christendom crowd—can’t seem to decide whether they want pluralism or a uniform parade of secular individualism in skinny jeans. One moment, it’s “celebrate diversity!” and the next, it’s bans on burkinis. Remember that? When French police made a Muslim woman on a beach remove her burkini in front of her kids? Because modest swimwear is apparently a public security risk. But a man in a Speedo? Totally fine.

Let’s talk schools. Little Ahmed walks into a class where his history book skips over colonialism like it was just a summer internship in North Africa. Fatima wears a hijab and suddenly teachers whisper about “integration challenges.” Yet white Christian kids can wear Indian bindis at Coachella and it’s “cultural appreciation.”

Integration isn’t a one-way street. You can’t build a multicultural society where only one culture gets to drive.

And oh, the job market. Think a résumé with the name “Mohammed” gets the same call-back rate as “Mark”? Spoiler: it doesn’t.

A 2019 Oxford study found that British Muslim men are 76% less likely to be employed than their white Christian peers—with identical qualifications. In France, a government-backed experiment showed candidates with “North African-sounding” names had four times fewer call-backs than those with “French-sounding” names.

Let that sink in: Four times.

Then comes the media circus. Every time some idiot pledging allegiance to ISIS stabs a stranger, 1.8 billion Muslims become suspect. “Are Muslims doing enough to condemn this?” they ask on TV—while ignoring the fact that major Islamic organizations do condemn it, again and again. But it never gets airtime. Doesn’t sell ads.

Meanwhile, how many times do white Christian men shoot up schools or churches in America before we start talking about their values being incompatible with peace? Oh wait, we don’t.

And yes—some Muslim communities do self-segregate. Yes—some mosques are ultra-conservative. Yes—there’s patriarchy and insularity and awkward debates to have. But guess what? Every community has its mess. The Irish did. The Italians. The Jews. The Christians still do. This is not uniquely Islamic. This is humanity.

The difference is—when white immigrants do it, it’s a phase. When Muslims do it, it’s a threat.

And here’s the kicker: when integration fails, it’s often not because of what Muslims bring. It’s because of what host societies won’t let go of—their superiority complex, their colonial hangover, their obsession with “values” that don’t flex.

In a 2022 report, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights bluntly stated:

“Muslims continue to face widespread discrimination in many aspects of life—especially in employment and housing—and are more likely to be stopped by police.”

Here’s a stat to chew on: in France, Muslims make up about 9% of the population, yet account for up to 60% of the prison population. Even former Prime Minister Manuel Valls admitted this back in 2015. That’s not a Muslim problem. That’s a French problem.

Let’s not forget Germany, where the late sociologist Wilhelm Heitmeyer wrote:

“Muslims are seen as a cultural threat, not just an ethnic or social one. That’s what sets Islamophobia apart from other forms of racism.”
That hits hard. Because it’s true. It’s not about language skills or jobs. It’s about whether your visible Muslimness makes people uncomfortable.

You want better integration? Try equality. Try mutual respect. Try not policing people’s identities like it’s some fashion crime. Integration isn’t a makeover. It’s a negotiation.

And if that’s too uncomfortable, maybe it’s not the newcomers who need to “adapt.”

Maybe it’s time to look in the mirror.