Good article.

Being a Caucasian Kiwi I'm very proud of my NZ heritage and my Anglo heritage from its origins in Scotland with their move by ship to NZ in the late 19th century. I'm very proud to share my NZ heritage and its rich culture that is largely made of the Maori culture, but also the Chinese culture and many European cultures to make what I call home.

Someone ignorant git mentioned the Haka was for the appeasement of the minority population (blah blah bulls**t). The Haka is a cultural clue to what the author of the original article was suggesting and is performed by All Blacks from many cultural backgrounds and is recieved by Kiwis of the same backgrounds with immense pride and respect for what it means to the nation as a whole...Plus, waltzing matilda?...please. ;)

Yes, Australia could learn something from NZ and genuinely celebrate the culture of indigenous Australians and TA's instead of saving them for ad campaigns overseas.

How sad that Irfan resides in Australia instead of the country he admires most.
To be truthful the only difference I find between Irfan and Hilali is the degree of descriptive language. Maybe Hilali is more honest.

Irfan, you are so right about the political position of New Zealand's Maori's compared to the Australian Aborigines. Of course, much of the blame goes to the pre-Federation UK hierachy, including royalty, which had the power before Federation to allow for native representation in the pre-Federal Governing Councils.

Have personally written a series on WA called A Land in Need, in which I tried to push native representation, but was just scorned at even by close friends.

A well known Queensland Roman Catholic padre tried to arrange it more recently, but was also literally howled down by John Howard.

Howard of course has refused to apologise for the taking of Aboriginal lands also.

Some say it is about the danger of monetary claims against us colonialists as happened in Canada, but it still does not say much as regards political ethics, Irfan, as well as historical characterisation for our PM, even though he may still be regarded as our most successful Prime Minister.

Maybe his success could be credited as a very successful neo-colonialist, as could be proven with his backing of the illegal US attack on Iraq.

Irfan is exploiting the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders sentiments to further the cause of Islam. Experience has shown that Muslims don’t even respect the culture of their pre-Islamic ancestors. The Muslims in Afghanistan destroyed the statues of the Bamyam Buddha which they consider offensive to Islam. http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/central/03/12/afghan.buddha.02/

In Malaysia, the government has put a stop to arts and culture inherited from their Hindu past because they are considered un-Islamic.(‘Malaysia's clash of cultures’, By Jonathan Kent, BBC, Kuala Lumpur)
http://www.malaysia-today.net/Blog-e/2005/08/malaysias-clash-of-cultures.htm

If there is a sizeable number of Muslims they would want Sharia law implemented as was the case in Canada http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4236762.stm. This would have lead to discrimination against Muslim women were it implemented.

When Muslims are in the majority, they would attempt setting up an Islamic state. The Muslims in Turkey have voted overwhelmingly for Erdogan, an Islamist who harbours intention of turning Turkey’s secular constitution into an Islamic one.
(Turkey in transition: Less Europe, More Islam)
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,446163,00.html
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/11/europe/EU-POL-Turkey-Next-President.php

If there is any lesson to learn from recent events involving Islamic countries and/or Muslims the world over, abandoning multiculturalism for integration is the only sensible thing to do. The Islamists have been divisive, not the Howard government. New Zealand would soon realize the type of problems facing Canada when her Muslim population increases.

Consider also the case of Indonesia where pre-Islamic culture has been largely obliterated. An excellent book that covers this in more detail is:

Beyond Belief by V. S. Naipaul

Minority cultures do not thrive under Islam

Naipaul has been attacked vigorously by a host of Islamic commentators and their apologists.

Here is what the NY Times book review had to say:

"This is a book of stories, not a book of argument, but there are arguments aplenty in it. The principal one is that Islam is an imperialism, at war not only with the capitalist West but also with the spiritual traditions of the region. It is not native to Pakistan, Iran, Malaya and Indonesia but was an Arab imperial incursion, beginning in the seventh century:"

See:

http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/06/07/reviews/980607.07ignatit.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=login

More of the same from this writer. Religion and racism. Now he's an expert on Kiwis too.

Although some of the posts do exceed the normal ignorance on Irfan's threads. No, we don't need any more surly Mundines. Just Australians of which Anthony Mundine is a big part.

Any chance we could give the Muslim card a rest soon Irfan?