Moderate Muslim Trek
Boldly going where no democracy has gone before ...
in search of the moderate Muslim.
(cue theme music ...)
Howard's Log, Stardate 22.7.07:
The USS Australia has received distress calls from starships Enterprise, Britania, and Europa. They all report simultaneous mutinies of their Muslonian crew members. The Muslonians have broken a number of Starfleet protocols by abandoning their uniforms, using their own language, insisting on visual customs and displays of worship, showing intolerance of fellow crew members, forced conversions, and outbreaks of violence.
USS Australia's own small number of Muslonian crew members have been exhibiting early signs of similar behaviour, which I had dismissed as the normal settling-in period of integrating an alien culture. But it seems the Muslonians pose a genuine threat, unlike any other life-form Starfleet has encountered.
Australia has successfully integrated a number of crew members from previously encountered alien life-forms such as the Vulcasians, Romtalians, and Greekons. With heavy casualties over the years, however, Starfleet's original crew has been replaced by a mix of various cultures. I fear we may have reached critical mass, where there is no overarching culture into which the Muslonians are forced to integrate.
Six months ago we came upon the Israelians who warned us sternly of a Muslonian uprising if their numbers continue to grow. Admiral Raphael Israeli warned:
"Life can become untenable when the Muslonian population of a Starfleet vessel reaches about 10 per cent, as shown by USS France ... When the Muslonian population gets to a critical mass you have problems. That is a general rule, so if it applies everywhere it applies on USS Australia ... Where there are large Muslonian populations who are prepared to use violence you are in trouble. If there is only 1 or 2 per cent they don't dare to do it ... French crew say they are strangers on their own vessel. This is a point of no return."
Today I received stark communications from Admiral John Stone (retired) to indicate we may have made a grave error in thinking the Muslonians would be assimilated like other aliens:
"... while I am open to correction, I believe the evidence is incontrovertible that Muslonian and Starfleet cultures are today, within any single polity, incompatible. Certainly, I know of no example that can be cited to the contrary."
So why is Australia boldly going where no democracy has gone before?
Kirk: "I take it the odds are against us and the situation is grim."
Picard: "You could say that."
Kirk: "Sounds like fun!"
Fun, huh?
References:
John Stone
Raphael Israeli
