Comedian Bill Maher argued that immigrants must assimilate to American culture and accept certain fundamental values like gay rights, women’s equality, and free speech, saying those principles are ‘not White values,’ but liberal ones.

Assimilation and American Values

During his latest episode of HBO’s ‘Real Time,’ Maher blasted both sides of the political spectrum for their approach to immigration within the country — adding that there is ‘no doubt’ that Democrats and Republicans ‘went to extremes.’ ‘If you want the American dream, you have to take the American values,’ he said.

Maher pointed to his belief that ‘something has changed’ in the attitude of those immigrating to the United States who may no longer believe they should adapt to western cultural standards. ‘Now, most immigrants still want to assimilate, but some now have this other attitude of, ‘melting pot? F— you, you melt,’ Maher said, while cracking a joke.

According to Maher, the price of immigration comes with a cost. ‘But you have to answer one question: Do you like Western civilization? Because that’s what we are. And that’s not negotiable,’ he said. ‘Honor killings, not letting women show their faces, polygamy, cousin f—ing, female genital mutilation — there’s lots of stuff we don’t do here, and it’s non-negotiable,’ Maher said.

Response to Criticism

A public policy professor at Penn State University told Fox News Digital that Maher had it wrong. ‘In my view, Maher makes it seem as if America is built on a foundation of the ‘melting pot,’ rather than on ‘assimilation,” the professor said.

Maher concluded his argument by contradicting the professor’s stance, insisting that his belief that immigrants should respect American values has nothing to do with ‘Islamophobia,’ but instead a basic belief that those living within the country should respect the fundamental rights it protects.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.