All I am saying is; learn to differentiate between Islam, muslim and Islamists.
If the Gulf states have Asian workers who accept a tax free low pay. Purely economical formulas, to source cheap labour like outsourcing (Most recruiter for cheap labour there are American companies who, btw, source Mexican labour to the US building industry).

What does all of that have to do with religion? You just want to see religion in it that’s all.

Second on method of expression, I do agree we should be doing a lot more in the face of extremism but average muslims are not used to marching in the streets to denounce or support. You made an assumption that if muslims are not in the streets denouncing then they are OK with it because this is how you express yourself. Sorry your prejudism and assumptions are your responsibility alone. Islam have a single reference which does not support or endorce any sort, form, shape of terrorism or murder.

BD,

You remind of the good old missionary, read my muslim jokes on making fun of Islam! : ) : )

boaz, are you saying that the sum of human nature is his/her religion? that our nature will always acquiesce to the dictates of religious text? So it is in a Muslim's nature to rape and murder from the day they are born? That it is impossible for a Muslim to decide that rape and murder is wrong? What a ridiculous idea. Where does that leave people who believe Christ was nothing more than a charlatan trying to bed a prostitute, or believe that Mohammad fell in love with a rival chief's wife, or that Moses was a man who smoked too many illegal substances? How do we define our natures - we don't have a religion to give us that definition. I'm thinking I'm a pretty good bloke, actually.

I'm sorry, I just find it hard to believe that people are incapable of following the law because of religion. Most of Muslim Australia - yes, I think the semantic crap about what comes first is childish too - seem to be juggling the two just fine. You might get the occassional black sheep, but that's no different to any other society. The London bombings killed only a score more than Martin Bryant in Tasmania. Yet when that tragedy occurred, not much was said about teaching Australian values to White Australia.

Finally, I get to the point with Waleed Aly's article. I think the Muslim Community is speaking to the wrong person. John Howard is the last person the Muslim's need to convince. The people they need to speak to are the people in our state school's, our retirement homes, our workplaces. There are so many organisations representing the Muslim community, it really should be taken advantage of - mobilise the masses and instead of speaking to one man who ceased representing Australia five years ago, speak to the people themselves. I think their approach is a little askew.

Fellow_Human (Part-time_Android?).
I've never heard of answering-islam.org, but I'll check it out. Enough with the insults and your titanic denial.
Is that all you've got? I made it up? Did you stamp your foot in petulance and have a hissy-fit? My ignorance eh? Come on smarty-pants, PROVE ME WRONG.
Incidentally, I love what you did with my nom de guerre (SkidMatrix). It has an Iain M. Banks/Thomas Pynchon-esque sound to it. Thanx, matey-boy.
I eagerly await your refutation.

Trinity - Please have the common decency to 'shut your festering gob' and stop being so earnest. Skip the bits you don't want to read. What are you? Some kind of thread-nazi? You fill me with inertia.

Graham Young, Chief Editor, OLO.
So, you've had complaints about one phrase I wrote (now deleted), alluding to the sycophantic posturing of some OLO posters.
If it is offensive to use a quote from "Rick" from the TV comedy "The Young Ones", then I am disappointed that the complainants are so thin skinned and lily-livered that they can't engage ME in robust debate and have to scuttle to "sir" to tell me to stop being horrid. I hope I don't get deleted for the Monty Python quote above.
Let me get this straight; when in Muslim lands, Infidels have to moderate their behaviour so as not to offend Muslims and when in Infidel lands Infidels have to moderate their behaviour so as not to offend Muslims?
That seems fair. Tell that to Salman Rushdie and the ghost of Theo van Gogh!
Freedom of speech is the freedom to be inflammatory and deliberately provocative.

I was watching Lateline last night and saw Waleed make some good points about the new laws against terrorism. Those who value their rights to freedom of speech and freedom of expression should be very concerned.

Much love to all

Yes, I also saw that. Waleed, you came across really well, very sensible and articulate :)

Those new proposals do sound rather dodgy. You could be held for questioning for 14 days without charge?! No thank you.

Nick I,

John Howard has won two elections and consolidated his majority in the past five years - sounds like the people think he represents Australia just fine.

Its a pity you resort to such a stupid off the cuff dig at JH when what the rest of what you said made sense. Everyone should be out there engaging with the communities they live in - it grows social capital and creates trust.

t.u.s.