Your task is to extract the thesis of an opinionated news article by selecting some of its text segments. The thesis is a summarization of what the author wants to persuade the reader of. Your answer should consist of segments of the given text. Note that you are not allowed to combine different sentences.

[Q]: More immigration and population growth? London can take it. Listen to the doomsayers, the scaremongers and the Farage brigade, and you would be forgiven for thinking that London is full . Our capital, just like our country, they say, can't cope with any more people . Everything from traffic jams to NHS waiting times is blamed on immigrants . The only answer, they tell us, is to pull up the drawbridge and close our borders, turning our back on the globalised world that this country did so much to create . How, then, do they explain the fact that, according to forecasts, only today will London's population surpass that of 1939 - topping 8.6 million for the first time? It is a stark rebuttal of the frequently peddled myth that says London must stop growing . Instead of the huge influx of immigrants that headlines wrongly report, in reality the capital's population has only gradually been creeping back to the level of 75 years ago, before the blitz destroyed many parts of the city . Today, though, shows more than just the falsity of the immigration scare stories - it highlights the huge success of London as a city . Our capital continues to attract people from all over the country and all over the globe because of the opportunities it offers : to find work, set down roots, enjoy a world-class cultural scene and be accepted regardless of who you are and where you come from . That success should be a cause of great celebration, not something to curse and try to curtail . But no one should deny the pressures that come with a growing population - pressures that are particularly acute in the capital . London is in the midst of the deepest housing crisis in decades , as average house prices soar to 14 times the average salary and rents rise uncontrollably . The city's transport system is struggling to cope with demand, with commuters crammed into conditions in which it would be illegal to transport livestock, and fares rising year on year . The opportunities to get a decent job, buy a house, and enjoy all the city has to offer are becoming fewer . The reality is becoming detached from the dream . These problems arise not because of growing demand alone but because of the failure of political leaders to respond to it . Londoners have a right to expect more from their mayor than the 17,000 new homes that were built in the capital last year - less than a third of the 63,000 a year that are needed to solve the city's housing crisis . That Boris Johnson has missed his own affordable housing targets in every year of his mayoralty is an abject failure of political leadership . The government's unwillingness to commit to vital transport infrastructure, such as Crossrail 2 and new Thames bridges, is scarcely better . History shows us what can be achieved when politicians take population growth seriously and rise to the challenges it creates . In the midst of the second world war, even as bombs fell and the city burned, a plan was devised to respond to London's growth . The Abercrombie plan, officially called the Greater London plan, laid out an ambitious vision for a new postwar London: decent housing replacing slums, efficient transport, full employment, new parks and open spaces . It was a radical and comprehensive document that provided the detail for rebuilding London after the devastation of the war . New towns including Stevenage and Crawley were built in the south-east ; modern transport infrastructure, including the north and south circular roads, was planned to cope with the increasing number of cars . The requirements of a successful London were drawn up and implemented . A growing population and new pressures on services mean we need a new, equally ambitious plan today . Empty words about more homes and better jobs will not cut it ; they are no substitute for a serious and detailed proposal for building at least 63,000 homes a year and rebalancing the city's economy to create jobs and opportunities for Londoners while continuing to invest in the industries of tomorrow . The city's creaking transport system must be upgraded, with Crossrail 2 and other new infrastructure built . This must happen without the continuous and excessive raising of fares , which burns holes in Londoners' pockets . Keeping London affordable for ordinary people must be central to the plan, and improving the quality of life of Londoners a core theme . Given that London successfully adapted to growing demands in the middle of a world war, we can be optimistic about our chances of doing the same today . We should not let those with a political agenda use London's growing population to support their anti-immigration rhetoric , and we should challenge those who want to label London's global attraction a flaw rather than a strength . That our capital is back at its peak population is a sign of its success as a great global city . People from all corners of the globe still take great risks, at great expense, to become Londoners and to benefit from the city's opportunities . But this isn't a time for complacency . Whoever the next mayor is, they must focus their gaze on solving the problems that stem from growing demand on London's infrastructure . As population continues towards 10 million , we need a new plan to take London forward together according to the qualities of the city at its best : inclusive, diverse, ambitious, forward-looking and offering a wealth of opportunities to all who live here .
[A]: It is a stark rebuttal of the frequently peddled myth that says London must stop growing We should not let those with a political agenda use London's growing population to support their anti-immigration rhetoric


[Q]: Islamic civilisation is in Europe's DNA. The brutal and tragic murders of 12 people at the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris - 10 staff members and two police officers - by masked gunmen has triggered an outpouring of shock and grief, not only in France but around the world . Large, spontaneous vigils filled the streets of many French cities , while social media was awash with solidarity and condemnation, including the hashtags #JeSuisCharlie and #NotInMyName, which was used by Muslims condemning the attacks . Police in France have identified and released the photographs of two brothers suspected to be involved in the attack while early speculation focused on the premise that Muslim extremists were behind the dreadful act, especially given the magazine's long history of satirising Islam and other religions . The two brothers have been identified as 32-year-old Said Kouachi and 34-year-old Cherif Kouachi . This theory has been reinforced by eyewitness accounts of the men shouting "Allahu Akbar" . The designer who was forced to let the assailants in says they told her they were with al-Qaeda , while , according to AFP, the police claim that one of the killers remarked:"We have avenged the prophet." Why Prophet Muhammad would need anyone to "avenge" him is beyond me . The prophet endured far more mockery, humiliation, insult and rejection during his lifetime without needing or ordering hitmen to defend his honour than that meted out by a group of equal-opportunity French cartoonists who despise and satirise all forms of organised religion . Even if ,  like with Anders Breivik in Norway, the perpetrators turn out not to be linked to Islamist groups , the collateral damage to French and European Muslims has already been done, despite one of the fallen police officers being a Muslim . With the strength of the Front National in France, UKIP in Britain and other anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant currents across Europe, a popular or populist backlash is almost inevitable . In neighbouring Germany, the thousands of Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA) who have turned out to rallies, though still small enough to be labelled a "flop", has set alarm bells ringing to the extent that strong counter protests have taken place . Like Muslims who fantasise about an ahistorical caliphate, conservative Europeans who dream of a bygone utopia of a Europe uncontaminated by Islam or immigration, miss the reality that the "Islamisation of the West" occurred centuries ago . Islamic civilisation is so hard-wired into Europe's cultural, social and intellectual DNA that it would be impossible to expunge its influence . The same applies in the other direction, in light of Christendom's and the West's powerful influence on Arab and Islamic society . In addition to the philosophy, science, literature and art of the Muslim world which profoundly shaped the European Renaissance, Islamic culture had some far more unexpected and surprising influences on western civilisation . One man in particular, for whom no statues or memorials stand anywhere in Europe and very few westerners have heard of, is possibly the most unsung cultural, style and musical icon in European history . In the ninth century, Ziryab, Cordoba's most sought-after hipster, brought into vogue the idea of seasonal fashions, steering history's catwalk towards the fashion slavery of the 21st century . This Sultan of Style also added a fifth pair of strings to the Arab "oud", paving the way to the European lute , which would become the modern guitar . He also introduced Europe to the idea of dining etiquette, from table cloths and crystal decanters to the three-course meal . Fashion, fine food and rhythm are not what Europeans tend to associate with Muslims or Islam today . Instead ,  they are haunted by images of fundamentalists, not fun-loving eccentrics, and fanatics, not fans of refined culture . As someone who is well aware of the destructive influence of violent Islamism in the Middle East , I can, at a certain level, sympathise with fears in the West over radicalisation . But Islamic extremism is mostly a threat to Muslim societies, not to Europe , as a minority has never, in history, imposed its will on a majority, except in the form of a military conqueror . This exaggerated sense of threat can be seen in the enormous hysteria in segments of the media and among some politicians regarding the small trickle of European jihadists who have gone to fight in Syria . Although one gets the impression that Europe has sent forth a veritable Islamic army to the Levant , the real number is around 3,000 from across the continent, including the dead and returned, according to an estimate by Gilles de Kerchove, the EU's anti- terrorism chief . While it is important to be vigilant and to find effective ways to deal with the threat posed by returning fighters , society must steer clear of stigmatising Europe's already marginalised and distrusted Muslim communities . This is because it is unfair to blame an entire group for the behaviour of a tiny minority and it is also counterproductive , as marginalisation is a significant, but not the only, factor in radicalisation . In addition ,  the demonisation of minorities is what nurtures the truly threatening radicals in Europe's midst; the far-right and neo-Nazis . Since the end of World War II, Western Europe has worked consciously to build and celebrate diversity . Despite its weaknesses and failings, Europe needs to cherish, build and strengthen its multicultural experiment .
[A]: Islamic civilisation is so hard-wired into Europe's cultural, social and intellectual DNA that it would be impossible to expunge its influence


[Q]: Southern Baptist Convention President: The spiritual state of our union. Questions Worth Asking . I love America and believe each citizen needs to be involved in charting the future of our nation . Our churches have compartmentalized faith and kept it from influencing our nation for far too long, just as most of America's leaders compartmentalize their faith from their politics . Today, our nation has become a product of this sad reality . We need to return to the conviction that a faith worth believing in is a faith worth dying for . Our faith cannot be checked at the door like a piece of luggage at an airport . The Time is Now . The time is now for our nation to recognize that we cannot fix ourselves . The signs of our brokenness are glistening in our dark world . The blatant destruction of the family, the killing of unborn children, the continuing racial tension, the rebellion against authority, the ongoing reality of poverty, the rising threat of our security, the clear attacks against religious liberty and, of all things, the arrogance to believe the highest court in our land can rule on what the Bible says is genuine marriage testify to just how broken we really are . Where Do We Go From Here? 1 \. We need to repent . Repentance occurs when we have a change of mind . This change of mind changes our behavior . As a nation, we need to personally and collectively repent of our sins . We need to ask God for His free gift of forgiveness for the sins we have committed, resulting in change from that point forward . 2 \. We need to return to God . America is a nation that was built on a deep belief in God . A desire for religious liberty was the catalyst for the beginning of our nation . While we have gone through ups and downs in our history , God has been very merciful and gracious toward us . It is time to return to God . It is time to stop making every issue about ourselves, posturing to ensure we get our way . God's way is the only way . There is no other . Anything less than God's way diminishes our happiness, our fulfillment and even our liberty . 3 \. We need our churches to wake up . Churches all over our nation need to wake up from the slumber we find ourselves in as a whole . We need pastors to return to their spiritual calling, be rekindled by the fire of God and declare the hope we have in the Lord . As a pastor goes, so goes the church . As our churches go, so goes our nation . The evidence is overwhelming of just how broken we are as a nation . This is the greatest hour for our churches to rise up . Never more has America needed our churches to lead the way forward , serving and influencing our communities with compassion and hope . 4 \. We need a spiritual awakening . In our history, there have been seasons of spiritual awakening that have influenced the spiritual state of our nation dramatically . Lives were changed and subcultures became different . Spiritual awakening is our greatest need in America today . There are many who have probably never even thought about this need . Others may feel we have gone too far . But I want to assure you : God can do more in a moment than we can ever do in a lifetime . Wherever you are in life, would you just stop for one moment and pray something like this:"God, would you please bring spiritual awakening to America? It is our greatest need."? America's greatest need is the next great move of God . This is our hope .
[A]:
Churches all over our nation need to wake up from the slumber we find ourselves in as a whole We need pastors to return to their spiritual calling, be rekindled by the fire of God and declare the hope we have in the Lord