I am over so over muslims and islam that I feel like screaming. I'm tired of hearing about hijabs and burkhas, I'm tired of long scraggly beards that look like pubic hair. Practise religion by all means if you have to but leave me out of it. The recent article on this site about the hijab is good example - it said nothing. It did not explain why these women think it shameful to show the hair that their god put on their heads. If there is a god why would he care if men shave their faces? Surely he has more important things to think about. The same applies to dietary rules. Why would god care what I ate? Some of these women believe god told them to cover their faces, their hair, their whole bodies. What rubbish. Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't god send us into the world stark naked? Didn't people invent clothes? Why would god direct human beings to wear something invented by other human beings? Surely if god wanted us to wear clothes he would send us into the world wearing them. My comments apply to other religions as well but fortunately I don't have to keep hearing about them. If you want religion in your life become a buddhist. You don't hear about buddhists blowing people up or invading other countries.

At the end of the day it is dissapointing to hear those comments in Bankstown, regardless of whether they were directed at muslim, or non muslim.

They are directed at Women, and before this man with his idealogy had the right to enter this country, Australian women had the right to choose what they wanted to wear.

His attitude in a country that is not Muslim majority is disgusting.

You want to have those opinions, on religious grounds or whatever you do not fit in with the direction of Australia. Go and live in Beirut, or wherever you have a right.

Imagine if some white christian guy got up in front of 1000 people in Bankstown and said "whoever chooses to wear any headress is showing that she is submissive and is exposing herself to domestic voilence" there would be similar outcry, as this is also wrong.

It annoys plenty that these people just want to transplant their idealogies and beliefs to a new culture, we are happy without them and without the attitudes not consistent with ours.

Is it that Australians are a soft bunch that allow everyone the right to choose whatever they want to believe in, live by etc, and this ends up at the expense of ourselves, our safety and our envied way of life? This guy is sopposed to be a role model for young men, and we wonder why there are problems.

Nice guys finish last Australia. Perhaps by women wearing provocative clothing the problem is not them, it is the man who have no self control. Their belief that women in Australia are harlets because of the culture's dress sense is wrong, if they cannot control themselves and thier urges when they see an attractive woman go back to wear they are uniformed. If they cant handle women dressed this way, leave.

I hope Australia ends up like a strip joint, for those that cannot control themselves or who are trying to influence others in a way not consistant with the culture, we kindly show them the door.

I don’t remember whether or not Sheik Faiz Mohammad referred to Western women only or to all women, including Muslim women, and I don’t have the interest or energy to check, as I believe most of us haven’t. Like Joana, I’m tired of articles from Muslims saying absolutely nothing of consequence to the rest of us, or their own best interests.

However, Shakiri Hussein attracts suspicion by writing this article so long after the event. Who remembers what some crackpot sheik actually said so long ago.

She also raises ire by saying that the SMH reporter was “not the only person to understand the sheik’s comments as being directed only at non-Muslim women”.

It’s the same old same old with Muslims. The rest of us don’t understand them and how bad they have it. They really love the ‘victim’ thing.

Instead of rabbiting on about hijabs and other codswallop, the Muslim community should be telling us what they are going to do about getting rid of the likes of Faiz Mohammad and other freaks living in the Dark Ages.

If weirdo Muslims are really in the minority, it’s about time the majority Muslims in Australia actively campaigned against the psychopaths among them instead of regaling us with stuff we already know.

I think both posts apart from mine were the voice of frustrated people.

We cannot segregate Muslims or groups or say "we dont understand them" etc, I dont understand your one eyed comments.

I am not racist, i believe the world is about personalities, not religion. Every religion has its flaws, it is up to you if you want to believe, but it is the personalities that you have the right to embrace or reject not the religion. If you dont like it shut up, as you said you dont understand it, and people fear what they dont understand.

"We are tired of hearing about Muslims" Well, we are tired of non sophisticated responses from people who do not know or understand the issue.

Muslims are fine and heres a tip from one 'Aussie' to another, they are not going to phase out either.

If you are influenced by personalities, not cultures, you will have a very mis informed opinion, and you must change your thinking as we shift to an integrated society.

I dont like the comments on women either, but one man does not mean i hate them all.

I think we need a few more soccer games to bring the masses together.

This is a lovely article that presents a fresh and exceedingly relevant perspective from a 'moderate' Muslim woman, about how members of her community view Muslim extremists. That such a well-written piece immediately evokes such vitriolic responses (excluding Reason's) is evidence of the level of bigotry that moderate Muslims face when attempting to work with other Australians in attempting to deal with the ostensibly religious fanaticism that is the enemy of us all.

Hussein also provides - inter-alia - a nice example of how the Australian media fans anti-Muslim sentiment in their use of dishonest 'spin'.

On April 24 this year, Miranda Devine wrote this in the 'Sun-Herald':

"A Muslim sheik told followers at a public meeting in Bankstown that women who were raped had incited men's lust by dressing immodestly and only had themselves to blame."

On November 11, Ben Cubby, Les Kennedy and Tom Allard published this in the 'Sydney Morning Herald':

' The sheik reportedly told a meeting of 1000 people at Bankstown Town Hall in March that non-Muslim victims of rape had "no one to blame but herself" '.

Hussein is quite correct to point out this apparently minor, but quite insidious misquoting of the appalling Sheik's words. It completely alters what is essentially a loony misogynist rant against all women into one against specifically non-Muslim women. This sort of garbage evidently finds receptive audiences among racist, xenophobic and otherwise bigoted individuals in the non-Muslim community.

Finally, I seem to recall that it was the almost equally appalling Bronwyn Bishop who attempted to get some political mileage with her media stunts concerning schoolgirls wearing hijab head scarves. Surely moderate Muslim women have a right to reply?

Realist, I liked that last post.

For the others you seem to be missing the point. I can understand joanna's point about being tired of the whole thing but then if the topic of an article posted here does not interest me I don't read it - a fairly easy solution.

The Yanks have lost about 2000 in Iraq, how many others have died there at the hands of extremists. Most of those other victims are not professional soldiers or combatants, just ordinary people trying to do the shopping, earn a living, have an outing with the kids. Many of those other victims are muslims killed by extremists.

Shakira has made clear some common ground for us. Shown that the divide is not as wide or difficult as some would have us believe. Another opening for us to work towards that desired assimilation (not sure if that's the right word but hopefully you know what I mean). She has spoken out against the uglyness of suggesting rape is justified by dress (or lack thereof). What else does she need to say?

For those who object to Muslims not fitting in with Australian culture why are you not welcoming Shakira's approach? Would you prefer her to stay out of mainstream Australia and just do the "Muslim" thing amongst her own people? I'd rather that she finds a comfortable mix of tight jeans and head scarves which works for her.