Well said, Mirko. Your article summarises succinctly most of my own thoughts concerning the "mad mufti" and the over the top response by some elements of the Australian media and commentariat to his latest silly gaffe.

Bagaric's article is also a refreshing counter to the quite inane comments to be found over at the "General" forum about this issue.

It is a refreshing take on a beaten topic dominated by agenda driven bigots.

Yes the likes of al-Hilali ought to be able to spew their nonsense around the globe because "we" understand that it's nonsense. And anyone with a contrary view ought to keep their mouths shut. The world may tolerate nonsense but accordingly can not abide sense. Thank you CJ Morgan and SIG. Bus driver. Stop the world. I'd like to get off now.

Mr. Bagaric. Free speech is free speech. Limiting the free speech of one, while allowing for the free speech of the other is not freedom of speech. It's managed speech.

I return your quote to you untarnished by my right to free speech.

19th century English philosopher J.S.Mill, who stated, “The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is that it is robbing the human race … If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.”

The majority of people have no animosity towards Muslims. We saw that the Muslim community leadership made all necessary for al-Hilali to use Islam and the mosque to spread such filth about Australians and women amongst the Australian Muslim community and called them out.
I say rightly so. Even free speech has consequences. Free speech isn't just a right. It's a privilege and presumes responsibility.

I think the author's symathy is misplaced. This man is harming people who were not brought here in shackles.
I believe it safe to say that Taj el-Din Al Hilali has lost touch with reality. Can he name a single person who was brought here in shackles? No? How odd. That's right. There is not a single person in Australia who was brought here in shackles. There are only descendants. Here I must declare an interest. I am a 6th generation descendant from a 1st Fleet Marine and a 2nd Fleet Convict. My grandchildren are 8th generation.
Is this man saying that none of us have a right to be here? That we should be transported back to ...where? As there are now infusions from almost every nationality represented in the several thousand descendants from this couple, on whose shore should we be dumped? We now consider ourselves indiginous.
I think it time this man's own culture deal with him. He is becoming a danger to himself and others of his culture. He cannot continue to claim he is being taken out of context every time he displays his ignorance. He is certainly old enough to accept responsibility for his own actions.
Arcticdog

"I believe it safe to say that Taj el-Din Al Hilali has lost touch with reality."

And that was our weekly 'State the Obvious' time with arcticdog!

Excellent article.

Eminently sensible piece, Mirko.

Of course, the right to free speech also means people are free to make wild, inflammatory, disproportionate statements in response to the Sheik’s wild, inflammatory, disproportionate statements, and for you to then point out that you think their response is wild, inflammatory and disproportionate and for me to agree with you, and…

...perhaps the real “splendour of free speech” as you put it, is that it obliges none of us to listen to it!!