OK, so there are people (like me) who loathe Islam. You're a Muslim and that upsets you. You think we don't understand the "real" Islam.

Understandable.

But guess what? I am allowed to loathe or despise any belief system I like. I'm allowed to subject ANY belief system I like to critique, analysis, attack, contempt, satire and scorn. It's called democracy. It's called freedom of speech. Get used to it.

"Islamophobia" is no more "wrong" than "atheistophobia", "Christianophobia", "Hinduphobia" or "Judaeophobia" all of which practising Muslims practise with great gusto.

Islamophobia is NOT comparable to anti-Semitism which is an attack on people because of their ethnic origins regardless of what religion they practise. Many of the "Jews" in Hitler's death camps were practising Christians who happened to have a single ethnically Jewish grandparent. So let's not have any FALSE comparisons here between a loathing for Islam and anti-Semitism.

A valid comparison would be Islamophobia and Judaeophobia. Every practising Muslim I've ever met was a Judaeophobe. (Not every Muslim. Many of the Muslims I encounter are “cultural” rather than believing Muslims).

It must be hard for the authors to handle that Ozzies have picked up on just what a problem malcontented muslims have become in our larger cities.

It really is a waste of effort to try to civilise these people who cling to the worst of such a barbaric religion. It is a similar waste of effort to try to convince the rest of us that we should even bother.

...Yes but…The nature of truth is predicated on prejudice. What is truth? All are right and all are wrong therefore. Consequently the subjective argument containing truth is negated to be replaced with the objective battle of religious prejudice: and the prize? Well, “Truth” of course.

To stevenlmeyer, Monday, 23 May 2011 8:30:00 AM

You're entry point into the discussion is so timely, and appropriate. The authors should thank you. Seriously, Well done. You instantly lend legitimacy, and a real life example, to the author's claim of a consistent Islamophobia -- and today's necrophilic appetite to speak of the "cultural Muslim" as the good Muslim because they no longer practice Islam.

You completely ignored the content of the article and its argument, didn't even bother to engage with it and instead made this a point:

" I am allowed to loathe or despise any belief system I like. I'm allowed to subject ANY belief system I like to critique, analysis, attack, contempt, satire and scorn. It's called democracy. It's called freedom of speech. Get used to it."

So I guess they are just automatically unfamiliar to "free speech" because they are Muslim. There was nothing in the article that gave you the right to say that. You chastise them for opposing the dominant narration of bin laden's death, and they are the one's not respecting freedom of speech?

Maybe you should get use to the way Muslims use their freedom of speech to talk back instead of apologising.

Another “NonMuslims are evil, stupid and/or ignorant racists” article. Pathetic. The authors well illustrate why Islam is a problem and will continue to be.

Is Islam compatible with the West? NO. Our values are different. Muslims do not accept freedom of speech and religion, equality and separation of religion and state. Muslims follow a barbaric god and evil prophet (and I can say that having read the Quran and hadith) that require blind belief and silly rituals (such as the veil), not morality or justice. Whereas Western civilization (for better or worse) was built the concept of sin and redemption, Islam stresses only faith in Allah and Mohammad. A Muslim can do anything as long as he has faith. Mohammad himself plundered, murdered, tortured, lied, enslaved men women and children, and raped (well, that is according to the hadith – Islam’s own reliable authentic traditions) yet this so-called prophet is a noble example for Muslims, according to the Quran. This, and current events, may explain why so-called “Islamophobes” (ie, normal, logical people) think “the religion of Islam is violent and Muslims are terrorists”. Dahhhh! Of course, people could just be watching the evening news. Dahhhh, again.

Rather than useless condemnations of terror (wink, wink), why don’t Muslims stop the hate and violence against others? Abolish the apostasy laws; end discrimination against non-Muslims in Islamic societies; denounce the hate in the Quran; condemn the vile attacks of Mohammed on peaceful villages and caravan - then and only then will I believe that Muslims are sincere and want peace.

Won’t hold my breath. Muslims are incapable of self-reflection or criticism. To them, the problem is always the other, the non-Muslims. Muslims cannot change. The radicals preach hate and kill and the so-called moderates make excuses and blame others. The future will not be nice.

As I said here on OLO more than 7 years ago, Muslims come o the West and they bring their vile prophet, ideology and problems with them.

PS: Project Granada. A fitting name. That was where Muslims massacred infidels in medieval Spain in 1066, then under Muslim control.

"Every practising Muslim I've ever met was a Judaeophobe. (Not every Muslim. Many of the Muslims I encounter are “cultural” rather than believing Muslims)".

Similar experience; I lived, worked and played with Muslims for a many years and while most Muslim professed wanting peace, that was conditional on the capitulation of Western societies and their conversion to Islamic values, if not actually to Islam. The practicing Muslims males I met generally expressed contempt for Western values and society, and were in sympathy with Jihad attacks.

Most cheered on 9/11 - remember the dancing even in Australian streets and Anthony Mundine's outrageous comments - most would like to see war waged successfully on the West, America and Israel in particular, and most admired suicide bombers; they just did not want to be the ones to blow themselves up.

Indonesia is often quoted as having the largest Muslim population of any nation, but the vast majority are stevenlmeyer's "cultural", referring to themselves as "Islam KTP"; KTP being an acronym for ID card. Every Indonesian MUST profess to be of one of 6 religions, recorded on their compulsory ID card with no atheists, agnostics, Jews, .... allowed.

In good part from these "Islam KTP"s comes the false idea that most Muslims are peace-loving.