Fellow_Human,
I had a look at your blogg http://musliminsight.blogspot.com/. Has real possibilities. I suggest you have a question / answer link on the Qur'an so you can exegete and expound true Islam to inquirers.

Another possibility is for you to give the life and purpose of all the prophets. Since you state Jesus plays a large role in the Qur'an you could outline his teachings, life and his purpose. Give examples for us how the teachings of the Qur'an are lived [demonstrated] in the life of the Prophets and what was the social benifits of their life and teaching.

Show how false movements in Islam have not benifited society; I note you mention one. I think it would be helpful to show from exegetical study on how they misrepresent the Qur'an. This would allow real debate on the teaching from the Qur'an.

Fellow Human

Interesting Blog, thanks. I think the following is relevant to this thread. I've tended to view you as "the wrong kind of Muslim" in the context of the article - someone who goes about their faith without attempting to force it on others and someone who is able to look beyond dogma.

I am concerned about the following and am interested to see if I've understood it correctly "did we give them a chance to explain, apologise or punish the person responsible?"

I'm reading that as suggesting that someone should be punished for portraying Mohamed in a manner muslims don't like.

The following questions are based on that understanding, if I've got it wrong please excuse me.

Would that be your approach to dealing with someone in Australia saying derogitory things against Mohamed if the muslim community had the power to get away with it?

On what basis do you justify suggesting that someone who says something against your religion should be punished?

Is the answer to the above consistant with your expectations for treatment of muslims by the non-muslim community in Australia?

Cheers
R0bert

Shakira is right to point out that the Sheikh's comments were probably directed at muslims more than non-muslims. One can only imagine the kind of politics and tensions that go on inside the world of mosques and Islamic communities about what kind of muslim one should be. It goes on in all religious communities. The power struggles, the different interpretations of the texts.

My question in regard to Shakira's assertion that muslims don't "get a free pass" just because they are muslim, I'm wondering whether many moderate muslims are reserved about publicly condemning terrorism at the risk of being ostracised from, or at least looked down apon, by the Islamic community.

Robert.... 'at last' :)

yes... you are getting an inkling now.. its been a while but finally it is dawning on you mate :) you are asking the right questions..and may I add. Your observation of this apparently 'minor' issue is in fact part of the 'CORE' issue which I and others have been highlighting all along. I'm just glad you are noticing such things yourself.

I think it gets back to whether one has lived and moved among Muslims in a 'majority' setting or where they at least have the power if not the numbers. Malaysia is the most 'moderate' Islamic society I know of (with the exception of Kelantan and other Malaysian states where they are trying to implement Sharia) and I can promise you, if one 'insulted' mohamed as many of our postings here would be considered, the outcry would be murderous, literally.

F.H. (unless he is hiding something) would be 'killed in the rush' to use our aussie metaphore by those far more strident than himself to implement the 'glories of an Islamic state' (cough) but the fact that he has apparently made this freudian slip is perhaps indicative of where even he is coming from (given the opportunity).... Lets wait for his explanation :)

You people are unreal. The whole article from which Robert lifted his quotation out of context is a plea for tolerance by Muslims of those who supposedly insult their faith. I guess you characters missed the following sentences in your eagerness to cast even the most moderate Muslims in the worst possible light:

"We should look after them and treat them well regardless of whether the believe in our religion or not. We do not judge them because God will judge us all.

Some of them can and will make fun of us and our faith but we can't because we answer to God."

If this is the kind of reaction that those responsible Muslims, who are engaged in trying to counter the lunatic fringe in Islam, get from non-Muslims when they attempt to promote moderation and tolerance among Muslims, then it's perhaps little wonder that rabble-rousing imams find receptive audiences. Hate begets hate.

Personally, I would make little distinction between a rabble rousing Muslim imam in Egypt and a rabble rousing Christian missionary in Melbourne. However, I'm a little surprised that the usually quite balanced Robert is apparently jumping on the anti-moderate Muslim bandwagon.

No wonder the world is going to hell in a handbasket. If only it were possible to ban all public expression of religious ideas of whatever description. We'd have to all be better off.

The first 3 comments in this thread are straight from mainstream Australia.
Wander about with me for a day in to workers lunch rooms and hear it for your selfs.
Not too many think being a Muslim makes you a terrorist or in any way a threat to the rest of us.
But most are fed up with the view we have bought it on our selves, have in some way caused terrorism to happen.
This constant lieing, constantly blameing us, is a form of education.
Educating us to question just how good is multi culturism and why do we need it?
What good can come of such an education?,the Muslim comunity must be the answer to this problem or multi culturism has failed forever.