Hi again Irfan,

Now there's no need to get all nasty and sarcastic with me. I know exactly who you are and what your background is. I reckon that you are a delightful and intelligent man.

This is why I don't understand why you bother sticking up for the religion of Islam. It's a medieval venom spitting rant fest that is tailor made for the dull and the gullable.

Let's face reality. Monotheism really has had its day. The idea that angels can dictate books and virgins give birth to prophets is really no longer believed by anyone with an ounce of credibility or sense.

Irfan, you really are too intelligent for all that iron age stupidity. Wake up!

Reynard,
“Until we recognise this it will be very difficult to defeat Muslim extremism, because to defeat them (and I fully support defeating them) we must first understand them.”

Psychotherapists to Terrorist:
“Please come in & recline on the sofa”
“Would you like some herbal tea?”
“Now -tell me, when did you start disliking us?”

Actually, we may get more mileage from understanding ourselves.
Terrorists & their camp followers crave media publicity.
Why is it that ever night the lead story about Iraq is a bombing & little positive is ever touched on.

Terrorists play on their preys inability to make hard decisions.
While we dither about racial profiling & deportation issues- they are laughing all the way to the next target.

And they can always count on a western “academic” cheer squad to explain away their culpability & re-write history to their benefit.

I am deeply, deeply shocked by the majority of the posts in response to this article. Anyone at all who dares say that Australia is not a deeply racist country lives in cloud la-la land.

The author was right in questioning the different levels of prominence odious comments were given by 2 odious men. Why is Hilali given so much airtime? Because it stirs the unthinking masses.

Maybe Marx was right with his belief that Religion is the Opium of the people and should be banned in a modern society. Let's not stop with the Quran and the Hajib, but also the bible, celibate priests and nums who've done untold harm to tens of thousands of children all in the name of God , the Torah, wigs and bizarre curls and hats.

The Catholics raged for a couple of centuries in Europe, the Puritans did shocking things in the US. Bizarre interpretation of any religion is dangerous and has absolutely nothing to do with spirituality or salvation, but is all about power and control. It keeps the silly masses obedient.

The Bible is a most violent and inconsistent book, this has given millions of Christians the excuse to slaughter others AND each other for 2000 years. The Quran is the same, so why should Muslims be any different in being idiotic and dangerous? Islam does not have a patent on horror and spreading horror.

A few Christians in the West are joyfully awaiting the end of the world and Armageddon while the rest of us are bleating around like idiotic sheep discussing the evils of ONE religion. Let's get rid of all religions and we'll live in a much saver world.

Except two of us yvonne my main point in this debate is the pot calling the kettle black no matter which side anybody is on.

Like a mate of mine always says, differences in opinion over religion nearly always turns into an argument over who's imaginary friend is best.

Dear Yvonne.. on the surface your view may seem to have merit.

Has there been massive evil perpretrated by Westerners in the name of Christendom ? yes.. Can you REALLY show how this is justified by Christs example and/or teaching and the general tone of the New Testament (as being the fulfillment of the old) ? If so, please try :)

Which leads to 2 points.

1/ The contrast between Islam as a violent and aggressive religious movement (I CAN and have repeatedly connected that violence directly to Mohammed in his life and teaching) and the inherrent peacefulness of Christianity as a faith.

2/ The violence in historic Christendom has been EXACTLY as Yvonne points out.. about power and wealth and in some cases about misguided ideas of doctrinal purity.(which, when closely examined, turn out to be about Church power)

Yvonne.. you need to do a birds eye survey the first 300 years of the history of the Church, then compare and contrast that, with the same period in Islam. Mohammed was fighting all his earthly life against 'unbelievers' and died early due to being poisoned by some Jewish woman who strangely resented the fact that Mohammed had KILLED ALL HER MALE RELATIVEs at Khaiber.

"I came not to be served, but to serve, and give my life as a ransom for many" (Jesus) is quite a contrast to "If any man changes his deen, KILL him"(Mohammed)

The reason Prof Israeli is controversial is because his spoke ugly and politically incorrect truth.
You doubt ?
see this ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E4rMJVHyeg

Remember.. 'critical mass'......violence.