Irfan, my lad. You state: "However, certain bigots are determined to manufacture an Islamic community". I presume you are referring to the extremely reactionary, extremely bigoted Islamists who demonstrated outside the Danish embassy in London on February 3rd, 2006 with the catchcry, "You have declared war against Allah and his prophet! You have declared war against the Muslim Ummah! For which you will pay a heavy price. Take lesson of Theo Van Gogh! Take lesson of the Jews of Khaibar!"

You know what the Muslim Ummah is don't you Irfan? According to Wikipedia, "umma" is an Arabic word meaning "community". And as Wikipedia goes on to note - in the context of Islam, the word ummah is used to mean the diaspora or "Community of the Believers" (ummat al-mu'minin), and thus the whole Islamic world.

Thus the Muslim community is a construct of Islam itself and has not been made up by nefarious outside interests as you falsely maintain.

A hint for the future aqvarivs - a sense of humour does wonders for warming people to your opinions. The ability to laugh, particularly at yourself, shows you are in fact *not* a humourless boring stuck up narrow minded simpleton who lacks the ability to extend perspective beyond your own tiny passage of experience.

Not that you are - but you don't want to give people that impression, it may undermine your future arguments :)

Lighten up.

spendocrat, what other people think is only important in regards to the material under discussion, that I should as you say, humour people into agreement with my opinion or view, is outside of my character. Some subjects have an inbuilt humour and can be expressed lightheartedly with out loosing the intended value, other subjects are serious and a lighthearted treatment gives that serious subject the erroneous implication that it ought to be dealt with free from care.
One of the down falls of this approach practiced by The Daily Show or The Colbert Report(as examples)is how it impacts todays youth. Many young people today are of the opinion that they are powerless to make any changes to their society and have adopted a laissez-faire approach to local and world events impacting their future world and society. Not all realize such treatment of the news is something that comes after honestly looking at the real events and understanding how they play out. As reported in a couple of polls that have hit the news some people are accepting both of the mentioned programmes as an optional real time view.

Again. Lighten up.

Half of the Daily Show is unwritten anyway, they just act as a 'finger', pointing at hilarious absurdities that already exist. Absurdities that exist whether shows like the Daily Show point them out or not. And you want to blame the messenger. How about pausing to consider why there's so much nonsense going on in the first place? I think that's what this kind of comedy helps people to do (well, the people that get it, anyway).

But I have no intention of being dragged into a debate about comedy with someone who doesn't know whats so funny about jokes. As you were.

"clear example is the Islamic Party (not sure of the accurate name I am sorry) who is standing at this week's NSW election - on the grounds of not having to abide by paying Australian taxes - since the Party claims that such behaviour is against Islamic principles and writings."

kalweb, can you show me evidence from the Aust Electoral Commission that this party is actually registered? Who are its leaders? Do you have any of its campaign literature?

"You know what the Muslim Ummah is don't you Irfan? According to Wikipedia, "umma" is an Arabic word meaning "community"."

Gee, SP, great to see you have honed in your sophisticated research skills. Last time I checked out Wikipaedia, it claimed I owned 2 horses.

The theory of Islamic theology is that Muslims are one Umma or community. But forget theory. Look at reality. Sunni. Shia. Wahhabi. Sufi. In Australia, Muslims come from over 60 different ethnic and religious groups.

The concept of Umma is similar to the concept of Christendom. DIdn't Christ (or was it Paul?) say that Christians are brothers to each other? Yet what is the reality of Christendom? Why do some cities in Greece forbid Catholic churches to be built within their borders?