suzeonline wrote:

>>Are the bulk of posters to this thread happy enough with the level of multiculturalism this country has thrived on since the 1700's>>

Until quite recently we had no such thing as "multiculturalism". What we had, and continue to have, is freedom.

People were and are free to practise whatever aspects of their culture, or any other culture, that do not conflict with the law of the land as enacted by a democratically elected parliament and interpreted by an independent judiciary.

Please explain why we need any more.

I am serious suzeonline.

I have never seen a multi culti exponent explain why we need any more than the freedoms I've described above. Perhaps you can be the first.

>>...but just don't want Muslim immigrants?

If so, that is called racism.>>

No it's not. There is no such thing as a race of Muslims. Islam is a belief system and in fact we do exclude people from Australia that hold certain beliefs. For example, the Holocaust denier, David Irving, was denied a visa even to visit Australia.

NB: I am NOT suggesting we exclude Muslims. Nor am I equating Islam with Holocuast denial altho. as a matter of plain fact, many Muslims do deny the Holocaust.

I am simply pointing out that to be disdainful of Islam, as I am, is not ipso facto racism. And neither is excluding people because of their beliefs "racism."

"Racism" seems to be a word people use when they cannot win an argument with logic.

Unfortunately multiculturalism conflates races with religion.

Racism, the condemnation of a group of people because of colour, is an anethema, an abomination.

Freedom of religion is a right in this country. We are also free not to believe in God, nor practice any religion. We have freedom to criticise religion and its dogma. This is our democratic right to opinion.

However, we now see emerging separate rights for one section of our community. With this is the restriction on our traditional right to question religious practices or codes of belief. It is now a vertiable ‘”thought crime’” to question certain beliefs that conflict with the democratic freedoms of our society. The same “thought police” who seek to quash ‘observation’ also advocate removing all signs of our traditional religious festivals, such as Christmas, in order not to offend ...

This apparently priviledged group, distinguish themselves from, and are given carte blanche to condemn and belittle, the democratic freedoms of this country, which Australians have fought for, and even died.

By Australians, I mean the past waves of migrants into this country, waves of different races and of different religions, including Muslims, who are a vital part, indeed the very fabric of Australian society today.

Islam is not new to this country, Muslims have been here since the 19th century, an important part of Australian history; we have had waves of Muslims from Europe and elsewhere.

However, we are witnessing an unpleasant phenomenum distinct from our traditional, well respected Muslim society.

It might be well to consider that the term "Islamophobia" was invented in the 1970's by Iranian fundamentalists, who used it to silence Muslims who questioned the Koran, who wanted equality of the sexes, who wanted to either renounce religion, or practice it freely without dicatates from the doctrinaire. "Islamophobia" brought with it a death sentence.

Stevenlmeyer,
Well said, my thoughts exactly.

In fact I argue that the term 'multicultural' is a misnomer as we are in fact a multi-racial nation, and have been since 1788. We do not accept other cultures, we accept some aspects of other cultures only.

There are many aspects of other cultures that are either unlawfull or socially unacceptable here. Lots of the cultural aspects we reject are not associated with Islam.

I object to the government imposed 'multiculturalism' that is social engineering and puts someones original culture ahead of loyalty to our country. Our culture is continuiously changing, but it is our society that should determine what changes, not governments.

pelican,

Yusuf Islam was reported during the 'Satanic Verses'controversy as calling for the murder of Salman Rusdie,he has since denied it, unconvincingly, in my opinion. Not a good role model.

suzeonline,

One more time--Religions are ideologies.

stevenlmeyer,

I doubt if you'll ever get a satisfactory answer to the question "Why do we need a policy of multiculturalism?"


Danielle,

Agreed,up to a point. Islamic intolerance of other religions,particularly anti-semitism, also aggression is inherent in the religion,it was spread by violent conquest from the beginning. The reason that this this 'unpleasant phenomenon' has appeared is due essentially to the larger size of our Moslem community now, it's not an aberration.

Both stevenlmeyer and I have provided earlier links that indicate the gulf in conceptions of 'democracy' by Westerners and Moslems.

Pelican

Mac has given us a good opportunity to illustrate the importance of the truth in defending Islam.

Mac states:

<<Islamic intolerance of other religions,particularly anti-semitism, also aggression is inherent in the religion,it was spread by violent conquest from the beginning.>>

One now simply have to ask: Mac provide a serious scholarly evidence that would support your claims that Islam has been intolerant against other religions and was spread by violent conquest....and see what he comes up with

Over to you Mac...

Grateful, mac

Here is a link to a youtube video in which Yusuf Islam expresses a desire to see Salman Rushdie burned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-wjxwpvqps

(It happens towards the end of the segment)

This clip has appeared on youtube numerous times and Yusuf Islam has tried to have it banned citing "copyright" reasons.

I can find no evidence that Yusuf Islam ever retreated from the position who took then - ie that Salman Rushdie should be executed for writing a book that purportedly offended the sensibilities of the founding father of the current dictatorship in Iran.

mac

I agree. I'll never get a coherent answer from the multi culti exponents. All I'll get is accusations of racism.

But I do know what multi culti is in Australia. It's a way for the ALP to buy votes by setting up a patronage machine.