In a way, "Oklahoma!" exemplifies the perfect melding of different aspects of America. With music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hammerstein, the show transforms  the idiom of the Great Plains into a soaring, folkloric Broadway musical. It is a testament not only to that rich idiom, but also to the genius of the show's creators. They, of course, did not belong to land that was grand, but rather were extremely urbane New Yorkers--Rodgers coming from a prosperous Jewish family, and Hammerstein, of Jewish and Scottish descent, from a prominent theatrical family.
    This struck me anew on considering events unfolding in real-life Oklahoma, where last week Iwrote about a group of 24 state legislators--now, it is reported, up to 35--who have refused a gift of personalized Korans from a government Muslim council. It becomes clearer and clearer that the giveaway itself was probably a stunt, a la the flying imams, designed to test the response and bring sympathy to the Muslim community.
     It looks like the stunt may be backfiring on the Muslim council. Far from being cowed, the legislators are starting to ask questions about the council; namely, why an "ethnic" advisory council is all-Muslim; and whether one member of the council is being rewarded with a seat for political donations; and why Islam is being advanced on the taxpayer's dollar.
    All of which somehow made me think of "Oklahoma!"--not just the spirit of the show (which I tend to think of whenever I hear the state's name), but also the way in which it is possible to look back on the different waves of immigrants and see how they have traditionally built upon and enhanced the country's culture.      
           Islamization--which is what accompanies any sizeable Islamic demographic anywhere, and which is what we are seeing happening through the efforts of various Islamic organizations across the country--is something quite different from  the assimilation process that used to turn  new immigrants into Americans. It is a key difference, and one that maybe--maybe--folks in Oklahoma are starting to understand.