Pelican writes
'Would Proxy be posting this topic if the most popular name was David?'

Maybe if Germans named their children Adolf would be a better comparison (except for David Hicks).

Cornflower
I am not so narrow-minded to believe that groupthink is not confined to those in the anti-Muslim camp. However I think the opening post is very much following a predictable pattern which incites the predictable responses as you say. Not sure how one should respond without sounding old and tired - tends to be a bit red flag to a bull for those in the secular egalitarian camp.

As a fellow human being I would like one day to be able to support or champion one of Proxy's posts but he tends to limit his topics to anti-Muslim propaganda.

Pelican,
Do you not think it is worthy of comment that there are more Mohammeds born than Jonas in Oslo, than Daan in Amsterdam, than Lucas in Brussels, than Mikkel in Denmark, than Jack in London?
Is this not remarkable?
Does this not point to significant social trends that are worthy of bringing to other peoples attention?
Is not something which could reasonably be discussed?
Am I allowed to mention that Morocco has taken the unusual (well I consider it unusual. Am I allowed to say unusual?) step of banning its (dual) citizens in the Netherlands from giving their children non-Islamic names?
http://www.nisnews.nl/public/290109_2.htm
Or is this also totally unremarkable?

pelican

Thanks. I have no interest in defending anyone and I reckon we can run as we please, getting what we want from the topic. If we let ourselves be confined to the usual game of exchanging unpleasantries, in effect we are ensuring the subject is closed for us and others.

I should have mentioned before that I took the lead for my possible discussion openers from the last paragraph of the link given in the first post.

I am interested in your views on any of those issues and I hope I haven't offended anyone with my directness. There are many on the board who have different expertise and experiences and they can help us see things from a different angle. I can get a bit lateral at times and I usually post in haste (and between things, business is like that). I really enjoy the reality check that some of the more detail-focussed posters can bring.

You are really working hard on this one, aren't you Proxy

>>Do you not think it is worthy of comment that there are more Mohammeds born than Jonas in Oslo, than Daan in Amsterdam, than Lucas in Brussels, than Mikkel in Denmark, than Jack in London? Is this not remarkable?<<

Frankly, no I don't think it is remarkable. I expect there are fewer Muslim names to choose from, making the comparison lop-sided.

Here is a site (an evangelical Christian site, so it is effectively their "prospect list") that shows the percentage Muslim population across Europe.

http://www.hfe.org/_old/resource/aids/eurol1.htm

For the countries you have mentioned.

Norway: 1.04%
The Netherlands: 5.4%
Denmark 3.02%
UK: 2%

You are jumping at shadows.

>>Does this not point to significant social trends that are worthy of bringing to other peoples attention? Is not something which could reasonably be discussed?<<

With the emphasis on "reasonably"? Absolutely.

>>Am I allowed to mention that Morocco has taken the unusual (well I consider it unusual. Am I allowed to say unusual?) step of banning its (dual) citizens in the Netherlands from giving their children non-Islamic names?<<

The article you point to states quite clearly that:

"Moroccans in the Netherlands are not allowed to give their children any Berber names any more"

It should be noted that this "ban" is i) against the Berber population and ii) originates from Morocco, not the Netherlands.

"The registrar of births (in Morocco) accepts only known names, and those are usually Arab [i.e. not Berber] names."

http://escholarship.org/uc/item/3f35d97x

This hasn't exactly gone down well with the Dutch Moroccans:

"MP Samira Bouchibti, a Moroccan national (by royal Moroccan decree) like all other Moroccans who moved to or were born in the Netherlands, is angry. "We must get rid of these lists of names and this interference. I want to be able to decide myself how I name my children. This is discriminatory."

The Berber population of the Netherlands is estimated at 1.72%

Perhaps if you could explain exactly what it is that scares you so much, Proxy, we might be able to help.

Pericles,
Your statistics do not reflect the disproportionate impact underlying them.
For example, although Denmark's Islamic population is only 3.02%, their youth represent 2/3's of the juvenile prison population:
http://frontpagemag.com/2010/05/05/among-criminal-muslims/

In Sweden, almost half of rape perpetrators are immigrants and the majority of these are Islamic:
http://theopinionator.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/04/sweden-tops-europe-for-number-of-rapes.html
Malmo's Islamic population is 25%
Stockholm's Islamic population is 20%

Filling in the gaps in your statistics:

Norway: 1.04%
Oslo: 11%

The Netherlands: 5.4%
Amsterdam: 24% (Greater Amsterdam 12.7%)
Rotterdam: 13%

Denmark 3.02%
Copenhagen: 12.6%

UK: 2%
London: 8.5-17%
Birmingham: 14.3%

Brussels: 17-20%
Marseilles: 25%

It might also be noted, from the article, that Moroccan "Dutch" are already forbidden to give their children Christian names.