That was, after all, Act 3 in the religio-political drama, "Go Back to North Africa Where You Came From, You Stinking Heathens". The Inquisition was used as the cultural follow-up to Act 2, the Reconquista (victory declared, 1492), in which the Spanish kingdoms united to expel the Muslims and that other perpetual pariah, the Jews, from the Iberian peninsula. (Tours drew the line in France.) It worked so well that Spain, the imperial power governing Aztec silver and Inca gold coming into Europe, became an impoverished hulk of a nation within 200 years of its consolidation. But it was ethnically and religiously pure!

If Europe is interested in maintaining its culture(s), another option exists.

European nations can stop using cheap "guest labor", and require people working in the country for more than (fill in temporal unit here) to take steps toward citizenship, with a deadline. This is one area in which the European nations can learn a great deal from the American experience, both good and bad. Culture is not heritable the way eye color is. If people have to learn it to get ahead, sooner or later the immigrant ghettos will crack, and people will assimilate voluntarily. The culture will change some -- e.g., Greek, Mexican, Italian, and Chinese foods are considered American now -- but the essence of a culture which accepts people, even while squabbling, and gives them opportunities will not be tossed aside lightly.

People are too concerned about genetic purity. The stupidest dogs I know are all purebreds.

Regards--
Mary Anne