Islam is a direct threat to civilization.

I am just glad you are still here! My opponent states, "Although alcohol may be intrenched into western culture, my opponent fails to address that alcoholism can be a serious issue that can tear families apart, result in rapes, drunk driving. " Indeed it is sometimes remarked that were alcohol to be discovered today, it would have been immediately banned, along with hard recreational drugs. However it is an ancient part of my culture and civilisation, my right to drink it is part of civil liberties, my civil liberties are a key part of my culture and civilisation, the act of drinking is a key part of social interaction, so again key part of my culture and my civilisation. The fact that it may be harmful, the question of if I should or not consume it is a separate one. It does not actually have any relation to the resolution. For the same reason I will not bring up the issue of the health benefits of moderate alcoholic consumption nor the terrible human cost of organised crime that will be created by prohibition. Alcohol is part of my civilisation, if/when Muslims reach a majority in Britain it is likely that to be outlawed or restricted. On the issue of divorce, "While it's often the case that men can more easily divorce it's usually justified. Men traditionally have a higher income so are expected to provide for their wives. " The Koran does not state that it should be easier for the higher income earner to divorce the lower income earner. It simply states that the man has more rights than the woman. This is a clear gender imbalance, the two genders are not equal in the law. You may find ways to defend this sexual inequality, but nonetheless this does contradict with the western civilisations fundamental desire for gender equality in law. Should Britain become an Islamic state women will most likely have to accept that they subservient to their husbands and second class citizens in the eyes of a divorce court. This conflicts with western civilisation. Re: Wife beating, "My opponent also addressed a greatly misunderstood aspect of Islam. While Islam does permit beating a disobedient wife(we see domestic violence in western society all the time) it is to be done lightly. Qur'an 4:34- As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (next), refuse to share their beds, (and last) beat them (lightly)" I accept this, from what I have read of the koran it does actually lay down sensible (though not always agreeable) rules. Be it war, wife beating, divorce and so on and so forth. It is a much maligned and distorted book. However carefully or thoughtfully written the rules on wife beating are they represent a clear inequality between men and women. Should there be a passage in the koran that states "Wives as to those husbands on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (next), refuse to share their beds, (and last) arrange with your male kinfolk or a local court to beat them (lightly) . .. " Then we would see gender equality. Until we do so, which is not going to happen as the koran can not be so casually re-written, and given that Islam is increasing in the west we must conclude that Islamic values is a threat to western values, hence western civilisation. My opponent states "Another claim by my opponent is that there is equality in the west. True equality in the truest sense is impossible. In a truly equal society everybody would be living in the same standards and making the same amount of money. " I believe I made some attempt to qualify this claim of equality in my first round. Quote from round 1 "Though true equality is impossible due to differences in wealth, ability and personality, western civilisation is based on the assumption of equality in the eyes of the law. " So that is to say, a billionaire tycoon and a homeless junkie have in theory equal rights before a Judge. The issue of money distorts this equality, but equality it is a key aspiration. Islam places Men above women, Muslims above Christians. It is unequal and therefore conflicts with western values. I ask observers not to vote according to whether or not they like Islam, irrespective of their opinion on Islamic values, irrespective of the complex issues of terrorism, but purely on who has made the best argument. In conclusion Can it be assumed that should Muslims become a majority in Britain (or any other liberal western democracy) that the citizens of that country would continue to enjoy gender equality, democracy, freedom of religion and so forth. As no Islamic country enjoys all these rights I must suggest no. Therefore as Muslims are increasing in the west, the only sensible conclusion is that Islam ultimately poses a threat to western civilisation.