Skippy
Thanks for you truthful detailed comment
Though I believe completly about what you said, it didn't address the bottom of the problem

Skid Marx
You have reached to the bottom
But what is the solution?

I guess the battle should be a battle of thoughts against the biased Media, and everybody should voice his opinion in free speech atmosphere. Those who resort to violence instead of words should be severly punished.
By talking and uncover hateful agenda we will serve moderate Muslims to have different explanations and teachings to their kids, you can't have hateful religion and say "Don't Speak about it!" your hate involve the whole society. The ExMuslim, I agree with you should be in the front line of this battle together with seculars and all others who believe in life not in death.

I guess one of the things I don't understand Boaz is how you can quite happily - despite being an obviously intelligent human being - apply such blatant double standards.

You are quite comfortable to embrace the good bits of Oliver Cromwell, presumably the pious bits, but allow yourself the indulgence of ignoring the part of his character that is vicious killer.

I'm afraid you do the same with Islam, picking out the dirty bits to rail against and emote about, conveniently ignoring the mass of Moslems who live perfectly peaceable and blameless existences.

Don't you see the parallels?

You are validating, whether you like it or not, the skidmarx of this world, who seem to revel in the perceived drama of it all. The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!

It may only be a small piece of the picture, but I am sure you would follow, quick as a flash, a charismatic leader of the Mosley ilk who stood up and fanned the flames of your, and your fellow skidmarx, fears.

It is long overdue for rational people to call a halt to this. The best way to do it - as is often the case with small children - is to ignore it. Unless you happen to be in the thick of it, ignore it. It is a local scuffle, instigated by thugs, that will die down if denied the oxygen of publicity.

>>Think 'key French policy mistakes'<<

Must I? There are so many of them. The French should never have ventured abroad, they really don't like it very much. But even Vietnam eventually settled down.

Dear Pericles.

Selective Identification with Cromwell is ok, had I not rejected his military excesses, you would charge me with being a brown shirt or something. Christ is my ultimate role model (with all my failings) Though I choose 'BOAZ' on a human level. (read about him in the book of Ruth) The point about Cromwell, is that he rose to the task when the king was seeking to basically take the life out of the Church for political purposes.

He faced that ultimate struggle, where a man has to ask "Is this the time to act ?" and in terms of Romans 13 "All authorities are established by God" this must include those to are established through such means as Cromwell used, though I am loathe to push that analogy too far, specially in a democracy.

You seem to be still under the false impression that I am somehow branding ALL Muslims as 'evil'. You should know better by now, I attack:
-Islam as a doctrine,
-Mohammed as a prophet (false) and
-gang violence by Middle easterners (if you cannot see a declaration of war in the car loads of Lebanese gangs roaming Sydney and terrorizing non Lebanese, I think you need to look again)
-Bad social/immigration Policy which lies at the bottom of all the above.

The last point leads me to the French mistake in Lebanon which caused the war.

You are correct, most muslims are peaceful, though 'collective behavior' kicks in in times like these.

Prior to the French setting up the State of Lebanon, the Maronite Chrisians had a majority and therefore Political power. Prior to departure, the French included 2 extra provinces which were heavily populated by Shia Muslims in the new State. This diluted the Christian majority, and biological demographics then played a part. Shia Muslims challenged the Christian status quo, 4 Christians were murdered and mutilated, "Ka-boom" and the rest is history.

In Australia, statistically the Lebanese community is head and shoulders above all others in terms of 'in' marrying. Racial/cultural solidarity... why ?

Bottom line, BAD social/political policy= bad things happening.

Here are the current Acts and Regulations (Legislation) in force (official NSW Parliamentary Counsel's Office website):

http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/maintop/scanact/inforce/NONE/0

Mr. Boaz, you may find the Crimes Act you are looking for under 'C', in the first section 'Acts in force'.

Also for the benefit of users of this forum, in addition to the Legislation index above, here is the official and comprehensive list of links to the Attorney Gerneral's Department:

http://www.australia.gov.au/portfolios#attorneygenerals

It has the following title:

'The Attorney-General's Department serves the people of Australia by providing essential expert support to the Government in the maintenance and improvement of Australia's system of law and justice.'

I would encourage everyone to familiarise themselves with the laws that they feel are relevant to them. The more people that know about the laws that govern them, the more stable and progressive our society will be. I believe that to be absolutely true.

I wish everyone who is interested in the laws that govern them good luck with their research.

In addition, below is a link to the 'Media Alliance Code of Ethics' (official website). Most media journalists in Australia are bound to this code, via their membership of the Australian Journalists Association.

http://www.alliance.org.au/content/view/17/60/

Also of interest, an extract from the Canterbury City Council's Community Protection Committee minutes from Febuary 2005:

'Canterbury Drug Action Team

Ms Field advised the Premier's Department annual funding contribution will be $1,500. With such limited funding not many options exist for new projects and past projects cannot be re-run. Current projects that will be continued include youth drug prevention project (gym/nutrition workshops at Riverwood Community Centre), Fatiha 2005 (drug prevention forum for Arabic speaking/background residents) and the methadone program research project's report is currently being finalised. The Premier's Department resource of taking minutes of Team meetings may also be discontinued. Correspondence on behalf of the Committee will be forwarded to the Premier's Department expressing disappointment at the level of funding provided to the Team.'

(original source: http://www.canterbury.nsw.gov.au/council/comm_prot/2005/comp0702.htm)

And finally, the NSW Premier's Department:

http://www.premiers.nsw.gov.au/premiers/contactus.asp

Peter West seems to think only one gender exists.
This world is a wholistic world and neither gender can exist physically or psychologically long term with only one gender.
He writes that he interviewed in Fathers, Sons and Lovers grew up afraid of his father and wanting to be like his father; second, teachers, who were respected members of society; and third, other men who kept an eye on boys.
Peter if you want to be narrow and biased in who you interview why do it. Be more broadly based.
Men do not exist without the opposite sex. Women do not exist without the opposite sex.

Being from France it is now clear to me that the faith-dominated way of life and increasingly radical beliefs of arab muslims make them ill-equipped to live in large groups within non-muslim societies without causing major social frictions and upheavals in the host countries.

There are similarities between young arab muslims living in french "banlieues" and the lebanese congregating in areas of Sydney. First is the compulsion to settle down in one sector of a suburb forcing white families and shopkeepers out, resulting in reduced "mixity" between muslims and the white majority.

Another similarity is the rejection of the official culture and the accepted ways of feeling, seeing and sensing of the "adoptive" country. Follows intolerance of non-muslim religions and vilification of anything or anyone not complying with taught muslim precepts: western way of life is decadent, white women are fair game and can be raped because they ask for it, unlike muslim girls dressed from head to toe and kept in check by the overwhelmingly patriarchal, oppressive and mysogenic muslim culture they are born in, hence obligation to wear the head scarf.

Now consider the baffling lack of inhibitions when it comes to disregarding western codes of conduct by young muslim men in the very countries where these conducts are the norm. Like in france they operate in groups, displaying aggressive behaviour for no obvious reason, pestering women, threatening passers-by, treating eye contact as an act of provocation, ignoring by-laws and be generally speaking, excuse my french, a pain in the ass in public places.

Gormless politicians have encouraged young muslim delinquents to behave anti-socially by telling them that as an oppressed minority there is an excusable explanation for their misdemeanours. Politically correct and human rights advocates, some of them in the australian Parliament, believe that the complete islamisation of Australia is part of the solution. But do not laugh. Those Lebs hopping mad on the sandy beaches of your beautiful country believe that it will happen, one day, eventually. That's what the imams at their local Sydney mosque keep telling them.