In Islamic Kuwait, it is impossible to obtain citizenship unless you marry a Kuwaiti man or you can prove your Kuwaiti ancestry goes back at least 2 generations. As a result there are more expats than Kuwaitis. Most of these expats come from poorer nations like India, Shri Lanka and the Phillipines. These expats earn good money (for them) to send back to their families.

Kuwait is one of the most racist countries in the world, but their Islamic values are protected from western, christian, Hindu etc values. Hence why women have only just gotten the right to vote in the last year.

What about our values? Are they being protected? Do we really need to hand out citizenship to people who wish to put women's equality back a few hundred years, and see women as simply baby makers?

I think Andrew has written a really good article on the topic of immigration. Perhaps he could write a further one explaining clearly all the benefits of immigration for aussies like me who are concerned for Australia's future.

Andrew thank you for making yourself available.

I have to take you to task though about your unwillingness to differentiate between religions.

We don't have open slather with political ideologies eg Nazism, Communism. David Irving is a lightweight compared with Mohammed.

As for character, Palestinians fete as heroes those who blow themselves up killing innocent people. They clearly think these Muslims exhibit enormous character. And there is strong support from other Muslims about this.

How can one not admire a person’s courage in responding to Divine command in making the ultimate sacrifice?

These people are not lacking in character. They lack for a true Revelation. The one they have enormously increases the tendency to intolerance and violence. Of course by itself its not a sufficient condition.

A refusal to differentiate saves time, but it is irresponsible. It weakens your authority to speak on immigration issues.

How could you not care how Muslim people define themselves? Especially if it is in total opposition to our political forms. The teaching in Islam is to bide your time in dar al harb, working however to eventually promulgate divine Sharia.

For insight into these religious concepts why not read about Islam, read what the Vatican says or Daniel Pipes, an adviser to the Whitehouse. And Spengler (who has to use a nom de plume or he'd be dead by now)http://www.atimes.com/atimes/others/spengler.html whom Pipes quotes and draws from and who is critical of the US in many instances.

If you won’t bother enquiring into Islam (and how Islam teaches no separation of the political and religious), if you just dismiss religion entirely it will end up dismissing you, for there is no place for unbelievers in a Muslim world.

Andrew, I would like to congratulate and thank you for taking the time to respond, four times I think, over a few days. I noticed lots of the posts also thankyou for this and would like to point out that although many seem to disagree with most of your points, it would be encouraging to all that you are addressing these concerns, instead of relegating such thoughts to the 'great unwashed'.

Andrew, it is imperetive that you and other politicians begin to address islam as not just a religion. Your comment that regarding the harmless nature of all religions, unfortunately, highlights the fact that you MUST have never spoken about these issues with a muslim. During a recent interfaith dialogue class at uni we had the opportunity to meet with canberra's acknowledged islamic headman, he clearly stated that islam cannot be differentiated from politics. In fact the Islamic community sees history (politics) as a central indicator of what God thinks of them. Thus they seek to destroy the saudi king, and other authoritative regimes which do not comply with Islam and the sharia. they see the lack of correct leadership as the reason for their god's turning away from them over the recent centuries.

Any book about Islam, unless produced by some western lefty, will go into this in detail. Your comments also show that despite the current geo-political events of the world, you have neglected to read into this subject.

You should not assume that the seperation of church and state applies to all religions. Whats more as heretical events in the US show, you should not assume that all understand the seperation of church and state to be the same seperation as that which you understand (all things change)

Thanks Robert. My family, in order to lighten the situation with a bit of humour as it isn’t easy for us as we live near Cronulla, joke about who it is that will bash our family the Lebs or the Aussies. It’s a difficult place to be stuck in a mix.

Frederich. Was Australia called Australia when only the Aborigines were living here?

I too think that Aborigines have been dealt an injustice and I wonder whether Aboriginal people actually call themselves Australian and whether they actually want to be referred to as Australians given what Australia has done to them?.

If you go back in time you will find that there have been a lot of similar injustices done in a lot of Countries, it was just the way things were done, unfortunately things haven’t really changed much.

Problem is that you cannot turn back time. Common sense should tell us to make sure that we protect the future.

That does not mean that what happened to the Aboriginal people should be ignored. There should understanding and validation of the Aboriginals plight, help and support to assist Aboriginal people recover emotionally and psychologically from the damage that has been done to their culture and their lifestyle. It’s not what happened over 200 years ago that is now the problem, the problem is what continues to be permitted to happen to Aboriginal people out of fear that they might become better educated, get their act together and stand up and demand their land back.

Now Australia also risks being dealt an injustice. Some might think that they deserve it but I can’t help but wonder if Australia is taken over by another culture or race, do you really think that they will hand Australia back to the Aborigines?

Immigration and multiculturalism worked well right up until we started bringing in larger amounts of cultures that clashed with the Western culture and that were not prepared to assimilate.

We seriously need to keep our eye on the balance especially given that the Westerners are not having lots of babies. Majority Rules!

Andrew Bartlett, unfortunately the Democrats, while under your leadership, are fully disassociating themselves from reality.
Are you being disingenuous? "Migration --- even the current rate will lead to a stabilised population by mid century".
What twaddle!
The current NET migration rate combined with the net birth/death rate gives us 1.8% population increase. And there is every indication that your Democrats, the Coalition, and the Labor Party, all want that maintained - or increased. Were it to be otherwise, the antediluvian economic paragidm that you all lean upon would be devastated.
If this combined rate is held steady, Australia's population by mid century will have increased from the present 20 million to some 40 million - and increasing at 1.8%. Do you envisage some change in philosophy that will deny this? Will you tell us about it? If this is not the case, do you have a problem with arithmetic? Do you, philosophically, need a guide dog and a white stick? If none of those apply, the implication is even worse.
You say, truly enough, "As a country we actually have more water resources per head than many others." But that misleading statement is probably intended to steer attention away from Australia having an evaporation rate higher than rainfall. Per head it is higher than almost any other nation, bringing with it desiccation and salination etc.. It also directs attention away from the water needs of natural ecosystems without which our current lifestyles will be severely degraded - or worse. We are in fact gravely at risk with regard to water.
Trying to mask the fundamental problems of population pressure by invoking cultural aspects, rather than numbers, related to migartion will never put you in the ranks of statesmen.

Andrew

Thank you for your thoughtful article - even though I don't agree with you. Also, thank you for your responses. It is fairly rare for an OLO writer to respond to posters. Even so, it seems that you are not taking on board the general tone and reality of the majority of posters. That's what frustrates we plebs about policians. You don't listen to us. You don't hear us. Yet, you want our votes.

Thank you to all posters. I have found all responses very good and interesting reading. I particularly enjoyed yours Yobbo.

Cheers
Kay