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The Forum > Article Comments > Australia v Hicks > Comments

Australia v Hicks : Comments

By Bruce Haigh and Kellie Tranter, published 1/6/2011

At the Sydney Writer's festival the audience found Hicks' account so compelling they gave him a standing ovation, all 900 of them.

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Poirot- in response to your point about the Afghan campaign against Russia, I can say for myself that I staunchly oppose the act of arming the Afghans against the Russians and personally hold it against the United States for going ahead with that policy.

In reply to some others talking about Bush/Howards' war crimes- by all means do charge them with their parts in an international court (even though Australia's role in the war was really quite a lot smaller than most realize)- what has this got to do with Hicks though?

It STILL doesn't change the fact that Australia would still be faced with the same decision of whether they should rescue a brainwashed jihadi and consequently, let him lose in the Australian community- or weigh up the security risk against the decision and NOT do so.
Doesn't matter if we were a neutral country, passive country, uninvolved in the conflict or an active member in the war- we would STILL be faced with that same decision.
Posted by King Hazza, Friday, 3 June 2011 6:23:39 PM
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Houellebecq: A standing ovation? How bloody ridiculous! I want a standing ovation if he gets one. I think Bill Clinton deserves one for his Lewinski affair then too. He was an idiot with no malice.

Yep. Clinton should definitely get a standing ovation for Lewinski. But don't feel too bad for him, I'm certain he has already got a few for other, less deserving reasons.

As for Hick's standing ovation - you lack imagination Houellebecq. I don't know why they have him a standing ovation (I wasn't there), but I can think of a few. Since most people don't give standing ovation's for act's of idiocy, so I doubt it was that phase of his life that impressed them.

So what could it be? Maybe Hick's is a reformed idiot. There no law that says an idiot can't have some sense knocked into them, and Hick's had more than a few people doing the knocking. He should be a lucky reformed idiot because he didn't harm anyone, unlike say some drunk driver that kills 6 people. But then he finds he is not so lucky, because he becomes the ball in political rugby game played by international governments. It seems like the whole world is lining up to make an example of him not hurting anybody, and get this - they even go to the extent of retrospectively making up new laws so they can do it! Despite the obvious unfairness of it all it seems everybody is in on it, even the press in his own country. He ends up being treated worse than the drunk driver - locked up for years in a prison where they torture people, abandoned by his own country. And yet he survives! He actually outlasts all the powerful forces lined up against him, and even manages to land a blow or two on them!

Amazing story isn't it? Granted he didn't start off on the right foot, but it ended well. Well maybe not, but perhaps it was worth a clap or two.
Posted by rstuart, Friday, 3 June 2011 6:24:33 PM
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@ RStuart.

Re: “ Amazing story isn't it”

No, a better word would be delusional.

When David is cornered about having admitted to terrorist acts , his out is that such admissions were made under duress, something that many are all too eager to buy.

However, there is another source that (should) well and truly torpedo his claim to folk hero status.
And it could hardly have been made under duress. His letters to his mother :

i) “As a Muslim we believe in destiny that when it is my time then so be it. If it is my time that is called martyrdom I will always fight for Islam”

ii) “There is one thing I wish to explain about jihad the non-believers, Jews and Americans in the western world are determined to prevent it to come back again. Jihad is still valid today and will be for all time. The West is full of poison. The western society is controlled by the Jews with music, TV, houses, cars, free sex takes Muslims away from the true Islam keeps Islam week and in the third world”

iii) “As a Muslim young and fit my responsibility is to protect my brothers from aggressive non-believers and not let them destroy it.
Islam will rule again but for now we must have patience we are asked to sacrifice our lives for Allahs cause why not? There are many privileges in heaven. It is not just war, it is jihad.One reward I get in being martyred I get to take ten members of my family to heaven who were destined for hell, but first I also must be martyred.”

iv)"I have met Osama bin Laden about 20 times he is a lovely brother the only reason the West call him the most wanted terrorist is because he got the money to take action.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/in-david-hickss-own-words/story-e6frg8yx-1111115167069

He certainly seems to knows what he wants, and to have given it much thought. Hardly a poor confused cobber who just happened take the wrong turn and wind up in bad company.
Posted by SPQR, Saturday, 4 June 2011 9:49:25 AM
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SPQR,

It's frightening, isn't it, the number of people who are driven to commit or instigate violent actions for their cause and beliefs.

Take George W, bush, for instance. He certainly seemed to know what he wanted and to have given it much thought.....

I suppose you would roundly condemn him as well, especially since his actions resulted in the slaughter of thousands - but then again, God told him to do it......

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/07/iraq.usa
Posted by Poirot, Saturday, 4 June 2011 10:24:24 AM
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I Seem to remember at the start of the Hick's affair, when his stepmother handed his letters to her; to the Authorities, that he also boasted about restoring the Islamic faith to the village of Kashmir, in those letters. This required the shooting of Indian villagers.

She later said she wished she had not handed those incriminating letters over. His father must surely have read those letters. Was
his defence of Hicks completely honest or the desperate act of a father to save his son.

I cannot specifically state the content of the letters like the previous post, but from memory that is what I remember reading in some news reports and a television documentary regarding the same, at the time. It is what sticks in my mind when I judge Hicks.

Also the fact :-
< If you fly with the crows, you get shot down with the crows.> (quote from former Qld, premier-Bjelke Petersen)
Posted by CHERFUL, Saturday, 4 June 2011 6:26:04 PM
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Nah,Poirot ,old GW was a namby-pamby panda compared to David.

Compare the two:
When the 9/11 hijackers struck –where was George?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IedVRYUNWUU

He was at elementary school reading a god damn book!
Just look at the surprise and indecision on his face.

David read a god damn book too –but there was no indecision with him ---listen to the masochistic resolve in this letter to his mum:

///As a Muslim young and fit my responsibility is to protect my brothers from aggressive non-believers and not let them destroy it. Islam will rule again but for now we must have patience we are asked to sacrifice our lives for Allahs cause why not? There are many privileges in heaven. It is not just war it is jihad.

We must do this because we are forced simply because the West knows how strong Islam is when practiced.

One reward I get in being martyred I get to take ten members of my family to heaven who were destined for hell

But first I also must be martyred. We are all going to die one day so why not be martyred?///

And after writing that, David flew out and reported straight away to Al Qaeada HQ!

And that is why, David is still playing to packed halls (never mind that they’re largely lightweight lilly livered lefties!)

And old George. why, he'd be lucky to pack a hen house.

Nah, Poirot, if you’ve looking for someone who's likely to make headlines in the future --David's your man.
Posted by SPQR, Saturday, 4 June 2011 7:37:44 PM
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