I find many Australians drastically hypocritical on this issue.

Apparently, we are told by punters and pollies alike, that 'democracy, freedom of specch, liberty are part of our core values'.

The same group crying foul over 'those muslims' who don't adhere to thse values will happily elect a govt. that has curtailed our civil liberties, consolidated media ownership, passed anti-democratic voting laws and made a mockery of our Parliamentary system.

I believe it is this govt. that has the most contempt for these Aussie values.

When heard this latest populist tripe from the Gov I wondered if he was going to call for Latin mass to be band?

Syed,

I am an Australian Muslim and honestly believe everyone who comes to Australia must be able to speak and communicate in English.

There are lots of Asian migrants who speak and communicate only in their own language.

Australia needs an immigrant adaptation program.

>>Multicultural Australia is only about 40-years-old: the process of integration and assimilation is still in progress.<<

That being said - Muslems are not going to assimilate because their culture is Islam. They can learn the language, and that's very well and important - but to assimilate they won't.

Islam wants Australians to assimilate to their culture - i.e. stop drinking, cover up our naked bodies, censure our speeches, don't say the truth if it is offensive to them, etc,...etc...

The Islamic “system” is a closed and complex one. It cannot be dismantled. Religion is their way of life.

Democracy and freedoms are not part of the Islamic Values.

So how can they ever integrate unless they renounce their religion and become secular like the rest of us?

Their allegiance to the Islamic Nation (Ummah) is primary to any other country were they may now live.

I don’t see Islamic integration happening tomorrow or in the future – so stop pretending that they will assimilate by learning the colours of our flags and the name of our PM.

I think the assumption that blaming muslims as a vote getter is probably a safe one to make - although it is getting to the point where much more may be counter productive - that is why Howard's delivery is so measured.

He lets his attack dogs like Abbott and Costello and even Alan Jones deliver the more vindictive lines - and then Johnny says things like - "well its a free country and they are entitled to their views -its one of the values we are fighting these pesky islamist for you see"!

But the other string to that bow - and I dont apologise for banging on about it - is that it puts a face to those Johnny has elected to be our enemy - in a perverse sense it unites some of us

- it also justifies the mistake of the Iraq war and the over reaction to the collpase of the twin towers and the joke that is Afghanistan.

It may back fire either at the ballot box. - we live in hope.

Or it may foster a genuine war - when Johnny et al can deliver the fateful "I told you so".

Cunning

John Howard has to take some of the blame for this Muslim overreaction, although he did say ‘some’ Muslims, and both he and Robb were directly addressing Muslim gatherings at the time of the initial ‘shock/horror’ announcement. They should be talking about some ‘immigrants’, not Muslims. Whether or not people can speak English has nothing to do with religion. There are many people who have immigrated to Australia, lived here most of their lives, from all ethnicities, who have not bothered to learn English. And their refusal to learn English has nothing to do with their religion. These people could be Catholics, Jews, Taoists, any other religion going, or no religion at all. It happens in all immigrant-taking countries.

The problem is that Muslims seem to identify more with their religion than with race, nationality or country than do most other people. They, then, must also take part of the blame for John Howard referring to ‘Muslims’ rather than Arabs, Asians, Africans or whatever nationality immigrants derive from. The Prime Minister, often lazy and imprecise with language, has fallen into the trap of going along with the Muslim obsession of religion first, which is definitely not part of Australian ‘values’ or psyche. There is really no excuse for the leader of a country to acquiesce to something ‘un-Australian’ – allowing religion to be anything but a private matter, not impacting on our laws, mores and culture – then saying that people must conform when it suits him. On the one hand, he is setting them apart by referring to their religion (unlike other non-Muslim migrants), on the other he is saying but, you have to be like everyone else. Confusing.

I make no bones about the fact that I am dead-set against Islam. But I cannot see why people who happen to be Muslims would not want to learn English as much as anyone else, in their own interests if for no other reason