White Wombat,

You summarised it: Journalism is a business.

Jimmyj,

Will have a go at your questions based on common Muslims belief.

- Sharia law: have two folds social and criminal justice (both defined in the Quran). The criminal justice part is still implemented in two countries (Saudi and Sudan) most other Muslim countries used the contextual meaning of the law (ie preventive sentencing) and replaced it with sentences like life imprisonment or death sentence (for things like rape or drug trafficing). The social justice laws (ie inheritance, family, divorce and child custody laws) are implemented in most Muslim countries.

- Dhimitude: non Islamic term but came in the third century of Islamic history. One of the corners of Islamic faith is Zakat (poors due) specified as 2.5% of all assets a Muslim owns (This is different than charity). Zakat laws didn’t apply to the people of the book “ie Christians and Jews” but was replaced by an army exemption tax called “Jizyah”. The term dhimmi was invented in the early years of the Islamic empire to differentiate financial obligations. The term in modern days is mainly in Wahabbi teachings and is alien to most Muslims.

- House of Allah & House of war: mythology. Get a credible meaning translation of the Quran by Pickthall you will not find a single reference to war except in self or property defence and always followed by terms like “shall not transgress”, “until they persecute you no more”. 14 centuries ago war was the norm and the only peace was on a bi-lateral peace treaty. The meaning should be viewed in today’s context. Honouring peace and peace treaties is clearly mentioned in the Quran.

- Taquiyya: mythology although have some roots in early Muslim scholars writings in the 3rd century of Islam (900-1,100AD). Most if not all modern day scholars discredited those teachings as incorrect as it conflicts directly with Islamic teachings: lying and false witnessing is the 3rd and 5th greatest sins in Islamic faith. Most muslims will not know the term dhimitude or Taquiyya.

Peace,

I think the “ignorance” is all Irfans.

The Australian has opened its editorial to different contributors.

Some of those contributors possibly have views which oppose the ones which Irfan has “cherry picked” out to contest here.

Now Irfan is entitled to have a small-minded view on what the Editor of the Australian should say, how he should think, maybe what he should wear, when he should take his meals and what he should eat. We can all do that.

What Irfan cannot do is impose his view. I know it would not take up a lot of space. I am sure it is quite neat and well trimmed, the thing to fit in almost anywhere with the most banal of environments but other people get to hold views too and some of them merit being selected for presentation in the Australian. Get used to this Irfan, being in Australia you have to understand that everyone is an individual and the editor of the Australian is one too. He is employed in a competitive position (he could get sacked).
He is expected to deliver a readable newspaper. That what he selects to print is contrary to your view is simply solved, do not bother to buy it to read, go to the Age or some other limp-wristed, apologist excuse designed to cater for the chardonnay set.

Whitewombat “calculating moderate xenophobe”, apart from being an oxymoron, it is the sort of thing I would expect someone to say when they are hell bent of criticising a politician but just cannot find fault with him.

In your own way it is quite a compliment to John Howard, it means he is in touch with the electorate and if you are a politician of any sort, you really should remember -

It is the electorate who put you there and the electorate who will remove you.

Doubtless Keating, Beazley and Latham would have benefited from being more the “calculating moderate xenophobe” but their view of the "electorate" was always obscured by the hoardes of the labor factions

Jimmyj,

Welcome to OLO.

Islam's only goal is the formation of the Global Islamic State under Sharia Law (official law of their god Allah). Make no mistake about that.

What you observe today in places like Australia and Europe - where muslims are a minority is the very mild preamble of things to come.

To understand a true full blown islamic state, look at Iran, Saudi Arabia, Lybia, North Nigeria, etc...The Qur'an is the primary manual.

Al-Taqiya, is a very clever Muslim concept, it was devised to achieve rapid success against the enemy: Jews, Christians,.. all Kafirs non-believers in Islam.

It is a legitimate form of Jihad - The muslim Jihadis infiltrate 'Dar el-Harb' or war zone (any non-islamic territory), cities and forums (like OLO) to plant the seeds of discord and sedition by lying and even denouncing the tenants of Islam.

Politically it means simulate whatever status of deception among the enemy in order to win the religious war...

The objective is to undermine the enemy's resistance and level of mobilization or to cause a split among the enemy's camp.

It was used very successfully in the early Islamic conquest and invasion of the Arabian peninsula, upper Africa, and Central Asia.

In most instances, the Jihaddis convince their targeted audiences that Jihad is not aimed at them;islam is on their side, and truly a noble and peaceful religion.

Lies and deceipt approved by Allah

Oh! Irfan: Don't you look at the world news, don't you - yes YOU - see what is happening where islamics have settled in whatever Western or any other nation. Don't you see the violence and thuggery or are you totally blind. Don't you see just how different pagan islam is to even a decent nominally Christian nation. Don't you read the hate sermons by your islamic preachers. Don't you read your islamic hate book - the koran. Don't you see or hear of things like a 17 year old GIRL that was hanged in that wonderful iran, but before this girl was executed she was raped. Why I hear you ask - because according to the hate filled misogynist islam religion being raped stops this girl from attaining paradise. Don't you see these people as stinking bloodthirsty animal psychopaths? Don't you understand why we look askance at such an unthinking brutal, lying cult of a religion. Don't you grasp why we do not want such a murderous religion here. irfan there is nothing about or in islam that is even part way good.numbat

Fellow_Human

Thank you for your prompt and detailed response, your lack of defensiveness and directness speak volumes. These are questions that are being discussed more and more often in my circle of friends and colleagues and it is good to get a response "from the horses mouth".

A few more questions on Sharia law:
- I noticed that 40% of Muslims in the UK would like to live under sharia law, would you guess it to be the same here?
- Would you prefer to live under sharia law?
- If a Muslim does not want to live under sharia law - is that a sin?

I vote ALP every time, and unless the policys they take into the next elect are vastly different from those printed in the Australian, and shared by most Australians I will be voteing for them again.
The fact is I agree with most Australians on most issues, well done the Australian.