>> I look forward to a stoush between him and Jewish school providers when young Ali or Ahmed, newly arrived jihadists from Pakistan, apply for gardening jobs at Jewish schools.>>

LOL,

I'm even more interested to see what happens when Chabadnik Yossi, complete with black hat, tsitsit (fringes) sticking out from under his shirt and long sideburns applies for a job as maths teacher at a Muslim school.

Or how about atheist Marxist radical feminist and evolutionist Christobelle applying for a job as biology teacher?

This could be great fun.

Good work Babette; have you tried to get this article published at that repository of dhimmitude, the abc?

Anyway, the msm in this country is at best schizophrenic about islam; I was listening to Laws the other day and he was blowing up about the latest muslim outrage, 4 men beating the tar out of some recent convert who had got on the grog, and 5 minutes later he was in default position extoling the 'moderate muslims' who would never do such a thing.

The concept of the 'moderate muslim' should be in the same category as other mythical beasts.

I think that it's time to take this business seriously. We already have fairly draconian laws on libel and slander that seriously impair robust political debate. We don't need any more laws against people voicing criticism of government or non-government bodies. Democracy depends upon people being able to speak their minds no matter how unwelcome their contributions may be to certain people.

The right to criticise or insult should not be infringed on. No religion, idea or act should be free from criticism. One should have the freedom to question, criticise, deride or condemn the Bible, the Koran and other scriptures that one has to do the same for any other writing.

david f:

...obviously Islam is roundly criticized on OLO along with all "isms". There is huge and open objection to many aspects of Islam in the public space.

...Since Bush, Howard and all, declared war on Islamist's following 911, the hysteria directed towards Muslims is pathetic.

Diver Dan wrote:

>>...Since Bush, Howard and all, declared war on Islamist's following 911, the hysteria directed towards Muslims is pathetic.>>

You may consider the critique directed against Islam to be "pathetic" and that's fine. You are entitled to your opinion.

But Diver Dan's opinions are not the issue here.

The issue is should critique, analysis, satire and scorn directed against Islam or any other belief system be made illegal or subject to civil sanction?

And if Islam is to be protected which other belief systems are deserving of protection?

How about Catholicism, Scientology, Zionism or the ideology of the Liberal Party? Are they also worthy of protection? What are the criteria?

There are sincere Nazis, Marxists, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, atheists and Zoroastrians. Do they too have a right not to be offended? If not, why not?

And if we all have a right not to be offended how is political discourse possible?

If I am offended when you characterise my belief that Islam is a dangerous load of codswallop as "pathetic" can I sue you?