The Flashback that never happenned:

This country has become a haven for the people of the world who dislike the lifestyle and opportunities of their own nations.

However when they arrive here they make no attempt to assimilate to the Aboriginal way of life. They bring their racial hatreds with them.

Yes white Australians are going to be viewed as a threat, we see white men, women and even children priding themselves in the fact they are invaders, white youths have gang raped our girls in our homelands.

They are flocking to our country and yet have no interest in becoming Aboriginal in the true sense of the word. They should embrace Aboriginality or go back to where they came from

Rainier

If I'd read your post as a new chum on OLO I would have thought "what the f..."

However, as an Anglo (but with olive skin - woman think its sexy!) I take your point that oppression is a matter of pain and perspective with new kids on the block being "new" in the eyes of the beholders who preceded them.

Up till at least the 1950s Catholics of any hue were held apart and in suspicion by many sections of the Australian community. Certainly my mother was told never to marry a Catholic. The early ANZAC days in Melbourne in the 1920s had seperate Catholic services/parades and Protestant ones.

One might argue that religion is something one can cast off to assimilate.

But religion is deeply important to Middle Eastern (including Jewish) cultures particularly when they feel isolated in the Australian community.

Regarding assimilation, if Howard by implication holds himself up as a model to assimilate to, no wonder the assimilation concept can be easily discounted. Coerced assimilation never works nor is it desirable.

Fellow Human,

You might or might not be a Muslim. That's the one of the things with anonymity: you can say anything you like.

Back on the subject,

I just find it amazing that ordinary Australians are supportive of these laws.

We know by now that we are dealing with 1 way tripper (ie no hostages, no demands). Whether the suspects are external (US example) or Internal (UK example); why does the new law need to penalise those who criticise the government for example? This is not alikely scenario unless in a civil unrest (economy crash, depression, chaos).

I suggest the perfect anti-terror measures should be:

- Foreign policy review: being brave does not mean go and ask for trouble. Every body else is fighting terrorism without causing their capital cities to be named.
- War in Iraq: regardless of good intent, Mr Howard's decision to take the country to war cannot be taken in that “Middle Eastern” overnight approach. And Yes, the Iraq war made us more of a target.
- Break the circle of distrust with the Australian Muslim communities as a first line of preventive defence. I can’t see how more spying can bring a 100.0% result (remembering a war on terror is like a pregnancy test it is 100.0% or zero).
- Invest in infrastructure monitoring, emergency department, alert and messaging systems across major capital cities.

Plantagenet,

Liked your posting with one comment:

Religion is important in the Middle East but it is not a form of identity. People of different religions see each other and co-exist. I lived in Egypt until the age of 29 and we had Coptic Christians friends. We attended their weddings in churches and they came to dinner functions at Mosques.

My observation in Australia is a little different: religion, ethnicity is a form of identity (I have been here for 10 years now).

This could either be because the country is so young or just discfuntional management of multi-culturalism.

Peace,

rainier: No one, that's no body on or in this forum has threatened to shoot, stab, throttle or drown any other person just because they are from another race. Get a grip on yourself petal. numbat

Leigh,

I am an Australian Muslim since 1996.
I contributed 171 comments (including this one) mainly explaining views across the board on Muslims and Islamic religion (Boaz david, Philo) and also commenting on nation building matter such as taxation, laws and liberties, technology, etc.

Not sure why would you doubt I am a Muslim but only you can understand whats going inside your head I guess.

Peace