Optimists, rational or otherwise, often cite the passage of time as a powerful agent of change in the process of immigrant assimilation–a process that almost always involves people from the third world traveling to the first world to achieve temporary or permanent residence–and for the most part, are content to think this process a matter of hands-off public policy with regards to urban zoning, education and criminal law.  In England, where all of these strategies have been in place for over 50 years, the outlook on dissolving barbarian norms in the universal solvent of liberal-democratic society is uncertain(from The Telegraph, via Razib’s Pinboard):

The survey of 500 Asian men aged 16 to 34 was conducted for a Panorama investigation in to honour crimes.

It found 18 per cent thought punishments on women could be justified in some circumstances if they had dishonoured their family.

That could include disobeying a father’s wishes, wanting to marry someone the family or community considered unacceptable, going out in the evening unaccompanied or dressing in an unacceptable manner.

Three per cent said honour killing could be justified while a similar proportion were undecided.

Some 69 per cent said families should live according to the concept of honour of “izzat”.

The article did not mention whether or not the sample was restricted to Muslim South Asians but given any number of biases in choosing an area to sample, that kind of error is likely.  Regardless, the attitude that one is entitled to some form of redress upon being offended in some way related to one’s ethnicity/religion/national origin is no problem for modern western society to subsume, without gross negative exernalities as result, within the structure of civil litigation but the vigilante violence and misogyny of the British South Asian imaginary is not.  I am not optimistic about the UK’s ability to segregate and excise the cancer of barbarian norms that have accrued over the years though I do not envision a District(Banlieu)-13 situation.