Yes that was the speech - I attended the conference so had the benefit of the other speakers after the Minister left - immediately after his speech of course. So he missed hearing about contamination etc.
The Liberal government has not shown any less inclination toward Sharia finance...this idea has been floating for a while now.
We are offering a 'fair and level playing field' while sharia law itself does not. Suggesting that sharia offers 'equality' - this is the issue

>>there will be pressure on the Muslim community to only support Islamic finance<<

Pressure isn't the same as force, Vickie. You should study some physics.

I hope you give your kids a more positive message about drugs. When I was in school all the drug education was about saying no to peer-pressure; about the power of the individual to prevail in the face of societal pressures. Do you presume Muslims to lack this individual strength of character?

Is it coz they is brown?

>>they will be deceived that they are not paying interest<<

I really doubt that. I confidently predict that they will be told up front, in big bold block letters, that this is an INTEREST FREE LOAN*. And the big bold block letters will be absolutely true and non-deceptive - and the nanoscopic fine print after the * at the bottom of the page will be equally forthright but will require a finance/law degree and 80/80 vision to properly decipher. Pretty much what other banks do.

>>"To further develop Islamic finance in Australia, we are committed to reviewing some of the systems we have in place, and working to ensure that there are no barriers for new entrants to the market."<<

Oh dear... you seem to be confusing a politician's promises for policy, Vickie. Always a trap for young players.

>>Nevertheless, I have been asked to address a number of groups and write for a number of publications.<<

Pro bono publico I hope. If not a number of groups and publications have not been getting their money's worth.

>>Are you are ok with children being married off because of sharia laws that won't protect them in Malaysia<<

No. But I'm not a Malaysian citizen and I don't have a say in their laws.

>>People who promote sharia law do not always have regard for Australian law unless it happens to line up with sharia.<<

So? It is said proverbially that the law is an ass: I don't know if I fully agree with that but there are certainly aspects of the law which are asinine. But it's fair to say that I do not always have regard for the Australian law unless it happens to line up with my ethical principles.

I'm still bound by it. I may disagree vehemently and wholeheartedly with the prohibition of marijuana and the restrictions on 'dangerous' breeds of dog, but if the fuzz catches me walking my pitbull with a quarter ounce secreted in its rectum then they have me bang to rights. The law doesn't care about the strength of your ethical argument: it cares about the strength of your lawyer's legal argument.

>>National unity is important<<

Oh dear...

A quick quiz, Vickie: which do you support the most:
a) Equal love, respect, tolerance and dignity for all of mankind regardless of their race, colour or previous condition of servitude
b) More lebensraum for decent God-fearing Christian folk
c) Lord Voldemort's campaign to segregate people on the basis of their inherited characteristics

Cheers,

Tony

Not nice Tony. It's not about Muslims lacking 'individual strength of character' - I met a traumatised Muslim Australian who would not speak out about her hubby's polygamy (in Australia) and her treatment simply because she believed she would be cut off from her community for doing so. It didn't make any difference that his behaviour was unlawful in Australia - she said her community would not go against it because 'the prophet said polygamy was ok'. Real people Tony - you may not care about them in Malaysia but yet have the gall to suggest I have a problem with 'brown people' because I care whether it's here or there. Goodness - they're family.
Yes - they will be told 'No Interest' - but that is a lie Tony. It's interest redefined as fees etc.
Your other comments don't warrant a response.

>>Not nice Tony.<<

Pot kettle black.

>>Goodness - they're family.<<

Seriously Vickie, you don't have to lie: honest discussion is the best way forward to understanding. The great thing about OLO is that nobody judges you by anything but your opinions: here you can be frank and open and admit that you just don't like Muslims very much. Not only will we still respect you in the morning: we'll admire you more for your honesty and you might even make some new friends.

'runner' doesn't like Muslims very much but he sure loves Jesus. Maybe you could try and establish a meaningful dialogue with 'runner'.

>>Yes - they will be told 'No Interest' - but that is a lie<<

Unless it's true.

>>It's interest redefined as fees etc.<<

Sorry, but I must have slept through ALL of my ethics lectures to have missed the bit about redefining concepts being considered unethical. Who's idea was it? Kant? Locke? Mill? Janson?

Where can I find criticisms?

>>Your other comments don't warrant a response.<<

The last refuge of a scoundrel.

Cheers,

Tony

My impression in reading Viki's article is that she is not speaking as a Christian, but as a defender of "Western interests" and the western banking system. For this reason she is upset that Papiss Cisse is not prepared to promote interest-based lending and in particular payday loans.

Furthermore she is against the shariah because it is a "religious law that transcends national boundaries and commercial law" which of course also includes Christian scriptures. She is defending "western markets and economies" and the "Australian national interest". She is opposed to the aspirations of people who want "to abolish this slavery (to the West)".

A Christian, at least from my understanding, would be concerned with the serving the interests of God, and God would oppose terrorism whether its source were Wahhabiism or Western capitalism. Serving God is a matter of principle that transends parochial interest and political and ideological boundaries and i find it hard to believe that a true follower of Jesus would be defending the banking sector (even before the GFC) not to mention advocating the promotion payday loans (against all the advice of ASIC!).

cont....