Ifran,
You are letting down the side by resorting to petty emotive comments. Have you also become a victim not able to live in a democracy? Bashir has given deep and intelligent thought to his article. You as a lawyer ought to be able to control your emotional reactions to comments and people that annoy you. I read your last article and the comments and couldn't be bothered posting on it as all was merely reactionary.

I'm with keith on the Peter Costello comments - Please explain!

Where do you stand on upholding Australian Laws??

To read exactly what Peter Costello said at the National Institute 25/2/06 on Citizenship.

http://www.treasurer.gov.au/tsr/content/speeches/2006/004.asp

Response to kactuz:
You ask the question "Why is it that violence comes so easy to Islam?" without asking why does it come just as easy to the rest of us. Jesus was the pacificist par excellence and yet 15+ million people were killed by so-called Christian nations in World War I; Almost one million dead in the Rwandan Genocide.

Your idea makes no sense whatsoever. Think about it. 16 million dead! But I would not put the blame for one tiny scratch at the feet of Jesus.

I've said this before but too many people have been awestruck by the threats of Osama Bin Laden. He says the Muslim people are united behind him, even as Al Quada kills children and bombs mosques. And you seem to believe every vile word.

-:-
Response to Numbat and complicit others:
OBL sends his profound thanks for maligning this poet advocate of peace and common sense.

-:-
Response to David Boaz:
I'm somewhat confused by your post. Are you saying that the 'International Religious Freedom Report 2005' (http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/) produced by the US State Department contains coded messages?

Looking at Malaysia, the report says "On April 25, 2005, two foreign Christian missionaries were arrested after distributing religious materials in front of a mosque in Putrajaya and were charged with 'disturbing the peace in a religious manner.' After 10 days, the Government dismissed the charges against the two men and released them." I'm assume no other relevant attenuating matters.

Just to be clear, I am 100% supportive of religious freedom and the above example from Malaysia is unsupportable.

But are you prepared to join me in this criticism? Are you glad that Australia has true religious freedom? For example, would you agree that Muslims have the right to peacefully distribute religious material* in front of an Australian church?

(* for the sake of argument, let's say the religious material is the following flyer about "Noah's pudding" http://www.intercultural.org.au/events%202006/Ashura/pdf/Ashure%20Flyer.pdf. For the record, I am hoping that you can provide answer in terms of Australian law applying consistently to all religions)

Looking forward to your thoughts.

I can totally understand Irfan getting upset at coach for his emotive provocative comments, but I'm not sure I understand what Peter Costello's ignorance is of Sharia. Didn't some group attempt to get it implemented in Canada somewhere?

There probably are Aussie muslims out there who would like sharia law to be implemented, but I'm not sure if they are much of a threat at this stage. Doesn't hurt to let them know early on I guess in case they get their hopes up. But as I said before, the best message Costello and Howard can send to radical thinking muslims planning to stay in Australia is to back it up with action. Send the Pakistani rapists pleading for cultural understanding on the next plane out.

keith and Philo

I support your posts.
Cheers
Kay

I agree with Boaz and Coach we as a Christian nation 65% believers and 1.5% Muslim watch what is going on as Muslims in Canada have demanded Sharia law .
What I just saw on 60 Minutes on animal cruelty to OZ cattle made me cry as I saw these muslim people stabbing live cattle in the eyes ,then cutting the tendons in their legs ,so they cannot stand up throwing them off trucks .
Islam is a cruel belief system,full of laws ,push button prayers at anytime the buttons pushed down you go,,no heart felt prayers humility,privacy ,works,and not evident only fear of imams.
I just viewed another forum online , one comment below sheehanjihad

February 24th, 2006 at 8:35 am
Truly, the only thing that means anything to muslims is simple….Kill as many infidels as you possibly can as often as you can, or, survive being killed by infidels and whatever sect of Islam you dont belong to. Anyway you look at it, muslims live to kill and die in the process. So asking them to practice what they preach is telling the so called moderate muslims to get out there and kill somebody too. Moderates are that way because they are afraid of being killed by their own people for not adhering to the strictest of religious codes. So, they live in fear, or live to be feared. There doesnt seem to be an in between.

Muslims kill Muslims iran and iraq did for 8 years look at Sunnis killing Shiites in Iraq daily.

This is a hostile,raging mad ,lunatic religion of idolising Mohammed.

Jesus Christ died for muslims and He is appearing to many Muslims in mosques and dreams calling them (check the net) He loves you Muslims so much .
All you have to do just as I did ask Him to show himself real to you repent of sin ask for frogiveness and He will come into you eternally.
The Holy Spirit is unique to Christians and He (Spirit of God ) will tell you things to come and counsel you in love .