A sensible head scalf should not be a major problem, but a burkah definitely.

Irfan, interesting to read on your blog about the inner workings of the Muslims and the Right wing liberals of Sydney.
I have the occasional email dialogue with Afroz from Al Ghazzali centre and he sent me his quite impressive resume, I am curious about your comment in either the article of the blog about them 'hiding' or evading re qualifications ? care to enlighten ?

You actually underline many of the exact problems which we know exist anyway, but to have a 'deep throat' in you is a bonus :)

I'm sensing that you yourself are not in the mainstream of Quranic Islam, but (based on something I read about you) more on a Sufi thing, which explains a lot about what you do and say in the public arena. You just need to be less sensitive about things which cause you to say 'You hate us'...because we are acting no differently to people anywhere who are concerned about the impact of outside influences on their culture.

Did you read the article about the forced closure of Churches in Indonesia in response to pressure from radical groups ? Apparently they are worried about Muslims converting to Christ.

They could close every church in Indonesia, but God would reveal Himself to some high official just as He did in the case of Rome, and is currently doing in Saudi Arabia and in Communist China. As Jesus said "If they (the people) didn't cry out, even the stones would praise" (as he entered Jerusalem)

The real problems are not the Head Scalves, it's the mob you identified who use extended family and nepotism etc. tapping into the multi-cultural funding like parasites.

Why does Bronwyn Bishop have an issue with headscarves in the first place? Defiant? Her whole head screams defiance on a bad hair day 24/7. I'd wear a burqa sweetie, or sue my hairdresser. And kill that makeup artist who keeps making your mouth out to be a cat's arse with every TV appearance. Though we can't help what we're dealt with sweetie? I grew up where pierced earrings and mascara on a school day were seen as "defiance and sluttish". Crew cuts, mohawks? Ponchos? The Mexicans are coming! The days of defining yourself re headwear are the realm of the people, not the pollies. Remember Bob Carr's backlash from Young Labour in the 90s about wearing your baseball cap backwards, that defined you (allegedly) as a thug? I'm wearing bludstones on a farm. Go forth and define me!

Take a bex, a kerosene bath and a good lie down Bronnie, and chuck a burqa over your whole bad hair day. Though a plastic bag might suffice.

Hmm, feel much better now!

Mr Yusuf, you say that no one tells us what to wear and when to wear it. Have you ever been to one of those PUBLIC swimming pools and noted that muslim women only may swim?

Mr Yusuf, may I turn up at the next Auburn mosque open day and look over that magnificent structure with my wife, who will be wearing a bikini?

Mr Yusuf, you are a hypocrite.

What's wrong with Bishop saying that she thinks head scarves represent oppression? That she has had experiences where muslim men refuse to shake her hand? I know this to be true also, on many occasions in my growings out in South-West Sydney I heard stories or seen directly, cases where muslim men refused to acknowledge a female presence, and in some cases would become furious if eye contact was made.
Where does this attitude come from if not from a culture that makes their women wear the "hankee", or a culture that expressly states in their religion that "women are equal to half that of a man",
and that "women shall let the man be her boss", and that "a man can beat his wife [or in the muslim case several wives]if she disobeys". What do we expect but the Taliban and Saudi Arabia?
And so what if many muslims don't follow these laws! Should we not explode at the bigots and racists who do? Do we not explode at white racists or KKK when we find them, lest we annoy or perhaps insult the whole white race?
It is this very attitude that is the problem. There is not enough people from any ethnic group besides Europeans, that are willing to stand on the side of righteousness and call a spade a spade, despite the colour or ethnicity.
This attitude that non-covered(no hijab) women are by default, "sluts", or atleast not modest (as we constantly hear the hijab wearing referred to as "modesty")came out once again recently with the young Sheik Feiz from the Liverpool Youth muslim centre, who called all non-covered women sluts who deserved to be raped. I have not heard any proper condemnation or sacking of this man from the wider muslim community at all. Not a dot of it. Why? Because this is the average consensus. Western women are by default "sluts" or atleast not modest. This is the attitude of a caged up lion, or muslim women.
For me a "hankee" is for sneezing into, I wouldn't dare put it back on my head!

Good piece Irfan and well done on insight(SBS) the other week. It's interesting that the people backing up Ms Bishop seem to be quite ignorant about the reason for wearing the Hijab.

B_D revealing yourself in public is an offence.

Great piece Irfan (again).

Was going to request a total ban on overlacquered beehives, but Di's diatribe kinda took the wind outa my huff.

As a person who is very big on freedom of expression (only 9 years ago shaved off my purple mohawke) I feel ole BB is pathetically trying to gain a little publicity for herself and failing miserably. Somehow not going to lose any sleep over her and Sophie's attempt at divisiveness. As minuet noted hijabs have only become an issue since 9/11.

Anyway, have stated on other forums that I have friends who CHOOSE to wear hijab. Have visited their homes and was not expected to cover up, but was plied with lots of yummy food instead - maybe the thinking was that if I got fat enough I would want to cover up unsightly flab - hmm conspiracy theory coming on.

May just be my muslim friends are trying to win me over by being unfailingly hospitable - how suspicious - should I report them for unaustralian behaviour such as tolerance, friendship and open mindedness?