PJM interview Flemming Rose

Flemming Rose tells Richard Mintner (video - 12 min) why he commissioned the cartoons. It is a story he has told before about the writer of a children's book about Mohammad not being able to find an illustrator. He mentions in the interview that one of those who refused the job said he was thinking of what had happened to Theo van Gogh. He goes on to say that, so that immigrants can feel part of it, European countries need to reformulate their idea of what makes a nation, to distance themselves from the ethno/cultural identity that has performed this function so far and adopt an 'idea' as in the USA. Social security is another area to americanise. Denmark has very low unemployment; yet they're having to bring in workers from outside and they have 40% of their Muslim immigrants on the dole.

I hear what he's saying, but I do have difficulty imagining what idea Denmark, Italy, Germany, etc are going to use to supplant the very clear identities they have now.