http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=12905#222810

Jay Of Melbourne, great commenting mate, however the situation is not always as bad as it looks.

Our constitutional rights are a lot stronger than we have been led to believe, check these out if you have not seen them before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JihQw39hyG0 REAL law, withheld from us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7HJI5Jwzt0&feature=related an ex cop who knows his law.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3LyLUEX83o&feature=related how to beat bureaucrooks, especially from local government

BTW, have you had a look at these Jay?

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=12865#222182
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=12865#222451
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=12865#222601
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=12865#222792

enjoy.

Notice that Zachariah Matthews steers right away from actually trying to defend those aspects of sharia to which Maryam Namazie objects: in particular, the discrimination against women practised in sharia courts, where a woman’s word is considered to be worth only half that of a man.

Perhaps he can’t face the fact that gender discrimination is just as odious as discrimination based on race or religion. Perhaps if a Muslim's word in a court of law was worth only half that of a Christian or atheist, he might be able to understand what the problem is, but his mind evidently can't comprehend that the principle of arbitrary discrimination based on category of persons (rather than on the credibility of the individual) is just as vicious when it's applied on the basis of gender as it would be if it were applied on the basis of religion. Alternatively, he understands, but he won’t admit it.

This is why he has thrown up a smokescreen, disparaging Maryam instead of trying to refute her criticisms of sharia. In this he is playing the woman instead of the ball, trotting out some of her other affiliations (ex-Muslims, gays and lesbians etc) with the evident intention of attempting to discredit her. This really just reflects his own narrow-mindedness with regard to our right to freedom of religion (including the freedom to leave Islam), and people's right to privacy regarding their sexual preferences.

If sharia’s so good, why attack Maryam? Why not just explain how it would be wrong to discriminate against Muslims, but not wrong to discriminate against women. Only someone with a very warped perspective would fail to recognise that the principles of social justice here are identical.

To set things straight, Maryam is on record opposing religious tribunals of all kinds. One secular law for all, with equal rights for everyone, is the principle for which she stands