Irfan, you are a distinctly unpleasant person. As was noted by Savage Pencil just a few posts earlier you are quite content to spray vitriol at all Western Christians yet leap to the defence of the Muslim Ummah even when there is clear and unchallenged evidence that anti-Semitism is alive and kicking today in many Muslim-dominated countries. You have no credibility whatsoever.

LOL, Irfan, more evasion.

Readers should consider the following:

I have asked Irfan to comment on anti-Semitism in the Ummah, not on our research. His response is:

"Stephany, I cannot answer this question because I simply have not done enough research or travelled enough among Muslims."

Oh really? Someone who sets himself up as a spokesperson for Muslims cannot comment on something as topical as that? Is this believable?

I think the incident at Leeds University indicates the strength of Left McCarthy-ism. I don’t need to respond to the "reds under the bed" nonsense.

Ifran wrote:

"You are casting aspersions on 1.2 billion people spread across all countries on the earth."

I am questioning some aspects of a belief system that has a powerful grip on many people. It is a legitimate and, indeed, important line of inquiry. Islam is going to be an important force shaping the future. We need to know what we're in for.

Or does the fact that Muslims number 1.2 billion mean a critical inquiry into Islam is verboten?

I make no bones about my belief that the Ummah is antisemitic, that what is taught and preached as Islam in 2007 is heavily laced with antisemitism. I have given some reasons for my belief. Where possible I have provided links to sources. That's the best I can do here. Postings on an internet forum are not, cannot be, definitive scholarly papers.

Irfan's responses include sarcasm, ad hominem attacks, distorting what I wrote, emotional outbursts and an attempt to delegitimate a perfectly valid line of research on the grounds that it would offend 1.2 billion people – like certain cartoons perhaps?

Readers will note that Irfan has done everything EXCEPT address the issue.

For readers interested in educating themselves on the history of anti-Semitism, including Muslim antisemitism, I recommend:

Antisemitism: The Longest Hatred by Robert S. Wistrich

It's a little dated but still worth reading.

I would give more sources but I'm near my word limit.

For a flavour of what's being said in the Arab / Iranian media see http://www.memri.org

>>You are casting aspersions on 1.2 billion people spread across all countries on the earth.>>

Muslims make up one fifth of humanity and the proportion is rising. There are substantial Muslim minorities in many Western countries including Australia. That is precisely why Muslim attitudes matter.

I appreciate that Islam is not some sort of monolith and we cannot speak of "The Muslim View." That being said, it does appear to me that there is a strong strain of Jew hatred that runs through present day Islam. Being Jewish I am more than a little apprehensive of what this may mean for my children and grandchildren. Will they be able to live out their lives in Australia?

Irfan's tactics in this debate do nothing to reassure me.

There is a deeper issue here. I'm not going to go into the "Is Islam compatible with secular democracy" debate. Plainly it isn't. No proselytising religion is. Witness the attempts to have creationism taught in schools or the prohibition of gay marriage.

Until recently there was a consensus among the moderates on the secular left and right that secular democracy needed to be defended from the encroachments of religion. When Catholic Bishops objected to the display of "Piss Christ" in Melbourne many prominent left pundits rushed to the defence of the gallery on freedom of speech grounds.

That consensus has now been broken. As the cartoon case illustrates, the left is falling over itself to appease Islam. It seems to have started with the weak response to the Salman Rushdie fatwa.

Those that do defend free speech tend to redefine it in such a way as to meet the demands of Islam and other religious groups.

Most disturbing has been the conflation of attacks on a religion with racism. There is no such thing as a race of Muslims. Of course many pundits use attacks on Islam as a cover for racism. So do many people use attacks on Israel as a cover for THEIR racism.

<< Readers will note that Irfan has done everything EXCEPT address the issue.>>

Irfan,

Please do not contribute another article until you address my point that Islam is a "1.2 billion strong" HOAX.

I cannot understand how a consistently evasive non-intellect, so lacking in credibility like yourself, can be allowed to post numerous articles on OLO as if your views are to be seriously regarded.

You are afterall a lawyer, aren't you?

Irfan, welcome to Aussie Democracy, aint it grand!

At the turn of the 20th century Australia was mainly of English and Irish background. I recall, my father telling me that as he grew up in the 20's and 30's, the Irish were regarded as lower class because of their religion and the less than favourable view of Australia's super power protector, Britain. In fact, by the 30's the Irish community had a particularly vocal religious leader in Archbishop Mannix. He railed againts the British continually and the establishment was highly displeased with him. To add insult to injury, he started to insist on seperate schools for his flock and built church's all over the country. To top it off, he started to establish medical facilities, social clubs and eventually, political platforms for the flock.
I find it interesting that the conservatives who tried to stop the Irish, failed. They later failed to stop the Italians and eastern europen immigrants and finally the Vietnamese. In fact they are loosers and for those Muslim Australians, stick it out; they always fail and eventually, they will take out their insecurity on some other group.