Hmmm. I am just wondering about the 'background' and documented views/comments of some of those invitees to the upcoming Islamic 'peace and reconciliation event? Pot/kettle?

I take Mr Kazak's point on condemning Dr Rubensteins criticism of OLO allowing his article to be published. OLO is a rare forum for free speech.

Anyone who thinks, or states, that Zionism through its various voices in the world has not engaged in Islamic vilification has simply not been paying attention. One of the most encouraging developments in recent years is the many Jewish voices speaking out against this continuing calumny.
It is not only not true - that Islam is inherently bad - but to keep on about it is counter-productive. Islam is acknowledged by many to be the fastest growing religion in the world today. If the concern is its growing influence, why vilify it? Persecuted faiths and belief systems only grow stronger when that happens.
Consider Christianity. The Romans did everything in their power to stamp it out, and in the end it emerged utterly triumphant throughout the Roman world. I suggest that unless we wish to see Islam continue to grow in size and influence we get our own house in order before we criticise theirs.
Or anyone else's for that matter.
It's also worth remembering that all of us in the "west" are children of Abraham. We share the same foundation books with the same foundation stories. It is only after the first five(?) books of the Old Testament that the New Testament and the Koran kick in. There is so much more uniting us than there is dividing us. Time to focus on that!

I have to agree with Mr Kazak's description of Melanie Phillips and Daniel Pipes, they're both Zionist propagandists, so disseminating anti-Arab prejudices are more or less to be expected,
Pamela Geller is another notorious anti-Moslem, anti-Arab, hate monger. It's essential not to conflate their opinions with genuine concerns in regard to the ideology of Islam and its demonstrated opposition to liberal democracy.

Mr Kazak still hasn't addressed the criticisms of his previous article, particularly the muddled history and the definition of Moslems as a "race" and as the eternal victims of Western aggression.

Zionists are relatively easy targets.

halduel,

"It's also worth remembering that all of us in the "west" are children of Abraham."

Perhaps not, there's also a considerable inheritance from Classical Greco-Roman civilisation and the Enlightenment traditions that developed from that, otherwise we would all be living in a 12th century theocracy, rather like Moslems.

We are no longer "Children of Abraham."

It is well known that Colin Rubenstein and his associates have not been on speaking terms with the truth for as far back in time as the eye can see.
Ben Zygier gave us an unexpected glimpse as to what really goes on, of course.

I'm sick of religion.

This author persists with the relativism myth, that Israel is as bad as and worse than Islam; and someone else mentions Ben Zygier as though that means something; in the meantime coming to a corner near you:

http://www.smh.com.au/world/gazas-motorcycle-lynch-mob-spies-executed-corpse-dragged-through-streets-20121121-29or1.html#ixzz2CnXtfMMA

Thanks for reminding us of various commentators in Islam. Your problem, Ali, is that they speak the truth and being true, it is not islamophobia, whatever nonsense that term is supposed to mean.

The allegations of islamophobia differ from antisemitism in that antisemitism is based on lies like deicide, using children's blood to make matzos, stabbing the host to kill Christ again, plotting to take over the world, etc, while concerns about Islam are reality based and testable by examples.

When in NSW we need a special Middle Eastern Crime Squad, we are not islamophobic or bigots or racists. We are not racists to notice the gun violence, car rebirthings, or the drugs and bikie involvement. We are not racists to notice that when Aussies protested the Muslim response was violent just like the one against the Mohammed video.

We need to be concerned when Muslim only prayer rooms and toilets are demanded at La Trobe.

We cannot be blind to the violence by Muslims - remember 9/11, London & Madrid - and the constant demand for special privileges, which if not granted, is because of racism. We cannot be blinded by Muslims killing Muslims in Syria, Turkey (remember the Kurds?), in Iraq, nor the vilence against women in Egypt. We cannot accept a system where non-Muslims are second rate.

Sure, there are many wonderful Muslims; we all know and love those. But the problem - and this is what Wilders is trying to convey - is that Islam has a violent, intolerant. pre-medieval segment which takes over communities. And for civilised Westerners, that is not acceptable.

@paul2
A bit like the Jewish demands for special areas and privileges? It comes from thinking one of us has a special link to a God who is said to have created us all. Either he did, and there's no difference between us, or he didn't, and the whole we-are-chosen argument comes tumbling down - rather like those two towers.
and @ mac
Admittedly there is, or perhaps was is more accurate, considerable influence from Classical Greco-Roman civilisation and the Enlightenment. Trouble is so much of what we gained from both is being undermined by a resurgence of religious bigots among us. Democracy itself (in a slave-owning society and did women vote in Athens?), free speech, Habeas corpus, public trial by one's peers, separation of church and state and so much more is disappearing before our eyes. Even the term 'Greco-Roman' is being replaced as often as possible with 'Judeo-Christian', and the omission of 'Islamic' in that is in itself telling. The big problem for those neither Christian nor Muslim nor Jewish is being herded back into a theocracy without an established Theo.
Here in Australia we have a self-professed atheist leading the charge. This can't work well, and the alternative is a self-professed Christian who gets pilloried for his statements of faith.
To say we are conflicted and confused is only the start of it. We lost our blind faith with the Enlightenment, then we lost our faith, and now we are faithless. In many ways we in the "enlightened" West are a void waiting to be filled, and the bigots are licking their chops at the prospect. Not just interesting times(Buddhism now), but very, very dangerous times.

Paul2:

..What you say has a very distinct ring of truth; until the surface is scratched that is:

You say:-

#...But the problem - and this is what Wilders is trying to convey - is that Islam has a violent, intolerant. pre-medieval segment which takes over communities. And for civilised Westerners, that is not acceptable...#

...What you mean is Muslims present as less sophisticated: Less sophisticated that is than the Jewish lobby group, the renowned AIJC, but in the end the Jewish cause is just as violent if not more so, ask any Palestinian.

...The focus of this argument of “who wears the crown for the most unsavory inhabitant” must remain focused on the calamity that Multiculturalism is.

...Governments must be consistent on this issue, not "opaquely" siding with the “Goodies”! Arming one section of the Multicultural community against the other with an injection of taxpayers money is outrageous and must stop!

I find it very interesting that all the authors accused of Islamophobia, are simply warning of the dangers inherent in allowing a theocratic usurpation of western values and modes of behaviour. There can be no place in a secular democracy for religious laws to have precedence over civil law. It is however true, that religious beliefs which are supposed to guide the actions of adherents must be protected in so far as they do not contravene the civil law.

Does anyone else find the lefty habit of telling others what they mean annoyingly condescending? ..."What you mean is Muslims present as less sophisticated: Less sophisticated that is than the Jewish lobby group, the renowned AIJC, but in the end the Jewish cause is just as violent if not more so, ask any Palestinian." from the diver is so typical.

What Dan fails to admit is that Jewish violence is directed against those who would attack them, Muslim violence is directed against any non Muslim, including us, their benefactor.

He then tells us how government must spend our taxes on within the Multicultural community. Here he fails to see the obvious, that all spending on such a stupid concept, designed only to buy votes for the left, must be eliminated immediately, if not sooner.

The Muslim religion is not the only problem. here is a statement from 2011

" Denmark the Government issued a report suggesting migrants from non-Western countries cost the state $3.5 billion a year, while those from the West contributed $450 million in taxes."

For Australia 2012/2013 is estimated at $6 Billion dollars, that does not count the hidden costs.

It seems to me that Ali Kazak protests too much. There is nothing wrong with stating the truth as one sees it. To say the Islamic religion favours violent resolution of conflicts is not racist. Mr Kazak's may disagree, but that is his perogative. Similarly, Mr wilders has a not racist message that he believes is important for Australia. I agree with him and find the evidence he quotes from The Netherlands/Holland, France and the UK compelling. It is a disgrace that he could not be heard in peace and quiet - but the problems he faced simply proves the truth of some of his allegations. It should be a major wake up call for this nation.

Yes Pliny, you are correct.
Wilders made the point of the difference between moslems and islam.
As he said he has known many fine moslems, but they are prisoners of their own religion.

Ali Kazak is surely not denying the accusation;
describing the Arabs as having a "culture of violence", saying "aggression and war are nearly inevitable in the Arab world"

Virtually every day there are reports of bombings inside and outside mosques.
In Iraq the Americans were blamed but now they have left they are
blowing up each other. The religion itself demands the death sentence
for those that leave islam, or insult the prophet etc etc.
Death for the Infidel is one cry from the pages of the Koran.
It is not universally practiced but there are enough occurrences of it
to not make any difference.
Fatwas on Simon Rushtie and the Murder of the film maker in Holland.
Isn't that enough.

What I have always wondered about is how much of this violence can
be traced back to the practise of cousin marriage.
It is about time they consulted with geneticists.