One thing I can never understand. Why is it that so-called advocates for Christian minorities only ever complain about their treatment at the hands of Muslims. You never hear about Catholic schools and missionaries being burnt by supporters of India's BJP. And the earth will start swinging backwards before you hear them complain about the suffering of people in Bethlehem, cut off by a certain rather long wall being constructed.

I guess some Christians are more equal than others ...

I believe this article is asking the question: "What can Australia learn from Turkey's experience?", in light of our own rapidly growing Muslim population with its signs of radicalisation.

Rev Rod says:

"This is a sign of a healthy political culture in Turkey"

Err, more like a serious cry for help.

"It is almost unthinkable that any politically-motivated crisis would draw such numbers in Australia."

Err, when the Islamists have the balance of power in Australia's democracy, I would think Aussies would be well and truly awake by then. We are nowhere near that point.

"It is testament to the current strength of democracy and freedom in Turkey that, despite being an overwhelmingly Muslim country, anti-Islamist demonstrations of such huge size can be held at short notice - and remain peaceful."

Err, if democracy and freedom reigned in Turkey, then the elected Islamists would have free reign. Turkey only has a quasi democracy, it is testament to the ARMY that things have remained peaceful and protesters are free to march safely. Their calmness would come from knowledge that the ARMY has defended secularism in the past.

Mark Steyn says: "Ataturk’s modern secular Turkey has simply been outbred by fiercely Islamic Turkey". See here:

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=584

Turkey won't be so calm in the future, if the population tide turns further to the fundamentalists. Demography is destiny.

I believe the lesson for Australia is that an unmoderated Muslim population can easily turn radical - and the signs are already here. So you either have to limit your Muslim population and/or embark on a serious program to reform Islam within Australia into an invisible, personal, pacifist faith - or rely on your army to remain secular.

Continued ...

Fred Nile reckons "the non Muslim birth-rate of 1.7 and the Muslim birth-rate of 6.8". Blind Freddy can see that Australia, just like Turkey, faces an Islamo-takeover if this problem is not addressed. Unless you want to see future generations of kids marching with pictures of Edmund Barton pleading for the army to come and save them, then we have to face this head on.

Australia has to move beyond terrorism as its only gripe with Muslims, and get the other issues on the table: muslim immigration, birthrates, visual integration, censorship of the koran, english speaking, etc.

More here:
http://abandonskip.blogspot.com/2007/04/million-rally-in-turkey-for-secularism.html
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=28214
http://www.danielpipes.org/article/4426

online_east, anyone that approvingly quotes Mark Steyn and Fred Nile in the one post on interfaith relations and immigration is perhaps laying their anti-Muslim bias a little bare.