Irfan,
You are a funny guy. Coach says something you can't argue with, so you call him a fruitcake. Mark Steyn says something you can't argue with, you tell him to drop dead. What's the matter with you? You seem to be living in constant denial.
Villon

Yep, they're back.

Irfan,

I usually respect your articles as a pragmatic view from moderate Islam in Australia. You are concise and sincere.

Why then when you post to these forums do you normally just insult everyone else. I can understand you do not agree with coach, BD and others, but you do not even post any counter-arguments.

Your refusal to engage in meaningful debate with them seems to weaken your point of view, and strengthen their points.

gw

Religious faith of any kind, if you have such a faith, should not have any bearing on your regard for, and adherence to, the mores and culture of your country.

But it seems, to many of we ‘ignorant’ infidels, that Islam is different: so consuming and dominating of Muslims’ entire lives that the faith is far more important than loyalty a country and fellow citizens. In fact, we hear daily, some Muslims telling us that this is so, and that Islam transcends everything else. Nayeefa Chowdhury’s ‘human right’s principles’, and equality for women, comes directly from the Koran – no reference to the law of the land. Those Muslims, who do not believe in such things, will find suitable quotes nullifying the author’s.

As with all things Islamic, the question is: which Muslims do we believe? There are so many opinions on the same subjects! No wonder the rest of us are ‘ignorant’.

“A Muslim, by definition, is a person who acts in accordance with the principles of Islam”, writes the author. Other religionists would say the same thing, but the topical discussion, spurred by the PM, is how Australians act as Australians, irrespective of religion. We live by law and culture and mores in Australia; based on a largely Anglo/Saxon/Celtic heritage – evolving into a unique ‘Australianness’ with the addition of other races - not by religion, which is a personal matter.

The very fact that the author refers to her Koran for just about every point she wishes to make is proof that Muslims, irrespective of ethnicity, are very different from the norm in Australia and anywhere else not an ‘Islamic country’

Okey doke. Most of the posters here seem pretty convinced that Islam is responsible for most of the strife in the world.

Let's keep things in perspective, for just a moment. The author points out that a fifth of the world follows Islam.

Firstly, that is a huge number, and represents a wide variety of people.
Yeah, there are bad ones, of course. There are more than a billion of em. Just bear that in mind, that for each suicide bomber you hear about, how many hundred million are there out there who are now being vilified because of the actions of a few?
We didn't start hating catholics in general when the IRA was getting up to this kind of mischief.

Now I don't like the idea of a religious government, or adopting sharia law. But it also needs to be considered, that many of the Islamic nations of the world tend to be poorer than most. And poor nations tend to have bad government - that isn't the province of Islam.

Now I hear you getting ready to reply, that there are plenty of oil rich Islamic nations that have oppressive regimes. Fair call. But do you suppose it is a coincidence that these are the nations that have repeatedly endured wars prompted by western interference? What about the muslim nations of Africa? Where is the coalition of the willing there?

Yeah, there are some bad eggs in the billion or so muslims. But the simplicity of the knee-jerk hate responses regarding this pretty tame article have given me some cause for concern.

Irfan,
I absolutely agree with Peter Abelard. If you are so smart and knowledgeable why dont you respond in a logical and precise manner as befits a lawyer, and a mozzie one at that.

There is abundant published evidence to support most of the contentions of most of the posters. Some of it may be opinion only, but a lot of it is historical fact. Just calling them fruit cakes or Nazis as was your previous inclination advances nothing

If your beef is that exposing the seemingly unplalatable side of Islam is no help to integration, then tough titties.That is the mozzies problem to deal with.

If your beef is that what is being said is wrong, then cough up the evidence to the contrary,with references. At least Nayeefa to her credit tries to to do this.