Great article.

I wonder if the Islamist brigade here - Irfan, the bizarrely titled Fellow_Human, among others, will attack this writer for Islamophobia?

To want Rushdie killed is barbarism and Muslim who doesn't denounce the Prophet for imparting such a disgustingly, criminal, teaching - should be boiled in acid.

Such people aren't redeemable.

They've gone through the race-hate factories and have a disgust of 'the other', i.e; the civilised westerner.

This war needs to be expanded to such dumps as Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, among others, to smash the production line.

The idiots claiming our foreign policy has something to do with it are beyond the pale.

I'm sure the Nazi's had more anger towards us on 'D-Day' too, yet everything they stood for before that day was enough to know that their intent was world domination.

Somehow, Islamists feel superior. I don't know whether to laugh about that or not.

What can they possibly see in themselves as superior?

One can understand why an enlightened culture like Germany's could get carried away - after all they have art, science, philosophy, logic, and intellect.

There is nothing in Islam, no philosophy like Christ.

How do Muslims follow apostacy? Or killing homosexuals? Or subjugating infidels?

Sharia is the most backward of any value system on the planet!

India's caste system is pretty bad too, there is even a prostitute caste! What filthy values!

Muslims are a people of conspiracy theories, like the most uneducated in the western world. Yet they're educated class are the worst in this regard.

They're lower classes in Pakistan and the like probably eat people and walk around on all fours!

Our leaders are cowards. The mighty west has the means to level Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the rest of the Islamic hate states.

Why don't we? Oil? Just take it. It's ours anyway, those Arabs wouldn't even have electricity, let alone oil, if the civilised west didn't tell them.

I would be so embarressed to be Muslim, how can you follow such values as killing someone for writing!

For shame.

Bashir,

I was a fan of Dr Taha Hussein and Naguib Mahfouz and agree there should be room for debate and criticism without the 'heresy' weapon on every thinker's throat. Despite accusations of heresy, Dr Taha Hussein was and remains one of the best Arabic literature authors and philosophers.

Benjamin,

I responded to your comments many times and you ignored my comments.
I can understand you get emotional about topics you initiate. Your inability to address my comments simply means you are not rational and would rather engage in monlogues with yourself.

All the best 'mr superior'

The islamists in OLO could not answer why 7 rational doctors and 1 medical technician were radicalized in the UK. The common characteristic was that they were all muslims. In fact one can’t profile a terrorist based on education, character, temperament or race. One can only draw a valid conclusion after having examined all the data on terrorists these past years. ALL muslims are POTENTIAL terrorists.

Muslims are like viruses, most of them are harmless, but you can never tell when some are going to mutate to become virulent. When that happens it’s too late and you would regret not having taken precautions.

The following are recommendations by Swadhin, an ex-Muslim, in his article “How about abolishing Islam?”

http://www.islam-watch.org/Swadhin/Abolishing-Islam.htm

1. Ban the publication, distribution and sale of all pro-Islam media, books, literature and published materials
2. Outlaw pro-Islamic organizations and organized activities of religious, social and political nature and deport the Islamic "religious leaders," "clerics" and other charlatans. Outlaw Islamic practices such as the burkha and the religious cap and other medieval nonsense.
3. Shut down all madrassahs and Muslim-majority schools and integrate them within mainstream public schools, diverse student and faculty bodies and modern, scientific curriculum.
4. Shut down all mosques and convert the buildings into hospitals or schools - something good.
5. Encourage (not penalize) the criticism of Islam across all media and strata of society. Encourage public debates and encourage society to take this issue head-on.

ctd

6. Severely restrict immigration of Muslims - subject applicants to rigorous citizenship tests, socio-cultural integration and an official renunciation of Islam. Deport those who remain loyal to this hate-mongering cult.
7. Encourage government agencies, NGOs, police and human rights groups to scour the length and depth of Muslim society to uncover and remedy the countless incidences of abuses against women, arranged marriages, secretive polygamy and practice of Sharia principles.
8. Last but not least, strip Islam from legal recognition, from government surveys, official sources of information and census. Cease to identify a "Muslim" demographic; factor them out on ethnic and national origin. "Non-religious" or "Agnostic" is certainly better to being identified as a Muslim.
9. Encourage, provide opportunities for former Muslims to progress, obtain more education, become a normal part of a healthy society, instead of being disease-ridden, frothing, rabies-spreading stray dogs living on the mercy and fear of passers-by. Save them from being taken to the pound and the passers-by from being bitten and infected.
10. Point out the obvious - the evil suras of the Qur'an calling for hate and violence, the backward, senseless and abusive laws of the Shariat, the bloody history of Islam (continuing today).

Alternatively Philip, one could legislate so that the 'full picture' is presented on Islamic web sites.
Here is the view of the Islamic Council of Victoria:

QUOTE
There is no other community than the Muslims that has its image consistently misrepresented by almost all forms of Media. In Australia it is no different.

The Islamic Council is working to counteract the negative Image and stereotyping of Muslims and Islam as portrayed by the Media. We aim to clarify Misconceptions and present the true message of Islam.
UNQUOTE.

The major headings on the ICV web site include the following:

-Offensive Media Report.
-Hate incident Register.
-ICV (which leads to this heading)
SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS NOTES
FOR ISLAMIC ORGANISATIONS
-The heading "Notes for Schools and Media" leads to this:

"Some Points to consider
when writing about
Islam and Muslims"

So, out of 8 bullet points, 4 of them relate directly to the issue of 'defense/hate/misunderstanding/security issues' etc.

Compare that with say this site which is an Evangelical Christian alliance site. (equiv to the ICV in some ways)

http://www.ea.org.au/MissionsInterlink/BulletinBoard.aspx

Gee...not a single word about 'hate' or media guidelines, or offensive this or that :) How refreshing, liberating.

I cannot find anything on the ICV web site though about 'Islam' or the price you pay for 'Apostasy'. They have a bit about 'how to recognize a mail bomb'...but last time I checked....its US who are being bombed...not them.

Here is another to contrast:
http://www.aogvic.com.au/
Again...not a word about 'violence, hate or misrepresentation'.

Maybe it is because Jesus never raised an army or fought battles to spread the Gospel :)

See how leftists distort the truth? Although if Fellow_Human is a Muslim, he can't be of the left as it isn't compatible.

Muslims occupy their own level on left-right politics scale, as our most conservative lunatics don't even come close to things like arranged marriages, honour killings, interpreting their holy book literally - as ALL Muslims do.

I never said I was superior, just western values. I don't want to get into some stupid argument as I KNOW that nobody can show that western values aren't easily the best on the planet.

You're living here aren't you!?! Everyone wants to come live in the superior west! And why wouldn't you, it's values are good, one can criticise without being killed - although filthy Muslim values are limiting that already, and we don't all hate each other because some of us look different.

In short, this is superior western country, not bombed out Islamic crappiola.

This is why I think the west has an obligation to take over the backward non-west and run their countries. Corruption, decadence, and so on, is part and parcel of being a non-westerner.

Even the U.N asked Australia why it was shooting itself in the foot over the AWB scandal, as every western nation knows that bribery is part of Arab culture.

One can't even begin to do business there unless they pay bribes.

This is why Iraq is failing. The selfless US pours billions into reconstruction yet shoddy, corrupt filthy Iraqi's - who don't care about their own country, just their own tribe (xenophobic scum) are stealing the money yet not doing the work.

This was the best chance the racist, intolerant Iraqi's (they are killing each other after all, their level of racism is murderous) had and they, in typical Arab style, spurned it.

Just like the terrorist Arafat spurned the land deals Israel offered.

If you ask me, the whole region needs to be occupied.

Good day all.

P.S. Those f.... who keep calling me a bigot, criticise my points or it means you are weaklings who know I'm right!