Thank you Dalma

I too extend my welcome to all new Australians and my thanks to my many and varied friends without whom I would be quite literally a poorer and sadder person.

Go away all you wormtongues spin your twisted words of hate to yourselves - the only ones who take you seriously. (Apologies to Tolkien).

Ian,how do we distinguish and sort the nutters from the well balanced?Many of the Muslim terrorists are very well educated professionals.Outwardly they seem like normal people.If anyone is indocrinated by extemist thoughts from a young age ,no amount of logic will change their views.

Name one Muslim country that accepts and lives in harmony with other belief systems.Basically they believe that their system over rides all others,since it has been ordained by their god.They are also allowed to lie to their enemies to achieve their goals.They operate by double speak and the politics of confusion.

Even with a sizable population of moderates ,we will always have many power hungry fanatics who will continually stir the pot and gradually steal our freedoms.The theft of our freedoms has already begun.We are buckling under their demands under the cloak of our fear of being called racist.

I say we suspend Muslim immigration until they clearly define what their religion is all about.Islam is at war with itself,and why should we be the collateral damage?

The Christian people from Lebanon have assimilated and caused us few problems.This is about a belief system and not about race.

Dalma,
Just in case you had not heard, the Muslim community has already asked that they be able to set up their own court system to administer Shari'ah law within their communities in Australia. It has been rejected by the Government. They do not wish to be subject to our laws, but tolerate it. They want their own closed communities as they have done in France, Canada, England etc. They do not wish to assimilate under our permissive laws.

Quote by Dalma, "Ostracising them from mainstream life, to me is inviting apartheid. Thankfully, we have not reached that stage."

They themselves wish to seperate themselves from mainstream Ozzie life, by not making infidels their intimate friends.

Look at all the GB's coming from under their rocks to throw stones at another religion. What are you saying Philo that all Christians are committed secularist? Are you saying that all Muslims are Koran literalist?
Arjay said “say we suspend Muslim immigration until they clearly define what their religion is all about. Islam is at war with itself, and why should we be the collateral damage?” So the Christian have done this then? Trying checking up on the “Christian identity” group in the US. You also said “Basically they believe that their system over rides all others, since it has been ordained by their god.” Is that not what hard line Christians think as well? And if you bother to do a little history you’ll find the Islam as a very good record of living in harmony with other religions better then Christians. As for Philos comment about “Shari’ah law “ shows us some info please, after all our Koori friends have also asked for their own laws and courts. Most “Islamic” terrorism is really nationalist movements using the West’s creation and support of the state of Israel as fuel for the fire. Remember we were happy to use these groups when they were fighting our enemies

I am sure that John Stone is extremely happy with the rabid right-wing responses to his article, which have enabled him to express his racism by proxy.

I also just love the way that these folk assume they have the right to discriminate and exclude, simply because their forefathers invaded and occupied the territory a few years ago. It is a little bit like playing "king of the castle", sitting on a pile of dirt and rejecting the attempts of others to join you.

It all depends how you view the world, I suppose. Invasion, occupation, subjugation of the local population, mass expulsions, refugees, genocide, all have been part of the world's history. Just look at the Middle East, the Balkans, sub-Saharan Africa, and track the paths of the victors and the vanquished, the winners and the losers, the borders and the boundaries - everything has been in a constant state of flux, thanks to the "king of the castle" agenda.

In a civilized society, we are supposed to have thought these issues through, and to have rejected the blind, me-Tarzan philosophy in favour of one less barbaric, less territorial, less cave-man and more intelligent.

Thank you John Stone for blowing this theory out of the water. We clearly are still cavemen, reacting instinctively and rejecting anyone who doesn't share our skin colour, ethnicity or religion. You are a hero.

Pericles, I think we will always be what you call "cavemen". Fear of the unfamiliar is a natural part of us, one that we will never manage to root out. The best we can do is keep struggling to not let it rule us.