Thank you Irfan for another enlightening contribution. From the newspaper reports, the main impression I got was that a smart businessman had died rather than a great Islamic Australian. Could I recommend a new book 'Big White Lie' (UNSW Press) by John Fitzgerald which examines how Chinese Australians at the start of the 20th century adopted "Australian" i.e. Post Enlightenement Universal values, but were rejected on racial arguments masquerading as cultural determinism. It is all too familar today, and now the Sudanese are being included as well.

Thanks for that enlightening article on a fine citizen about whom most ordinary Australians would not have been aware.
Crazy John made a valuable contribution to multiculturalism and racial tolerance as do many other asylum seekers and refugees.
My sincere condolences to his family

Ian K wrote "From the newspaper reports, the main impression I got was that a smart businessman had died rather than a great Islamic Australian." All the evidence shows that 'Crazy John' was a smart businessman, and good on him for that. Apparently he was a good, honest, ethical person too. You get a lot of points for managing to be both.

Until the man died, I had no idea about his religion, and it's not particularly relevant to me anyway. As it happens, I am Jewish, and that's irrelevant too. What is distressing is that a young family man is lost. I look back on the 20 years more I have had of being part of my family, and contributing to it as a son and husband and father and grandfather. I am full of sympathy for John Ilhan's wife and children and their loss. I am deeply sorry for his mother and father too. I would not want to outlive a child and I'm sure they wish it otherwise.

I don't suppose it is unreasonable to add meaning to John Ilhan's life by demonstrating that a person can be Australian and adhere to the Islamic faith too.

Religion isn't the issue. Mainstream religions would all have those "basic tenets of honesty and integrity". The issue is that some people use religion to (supposedly) add legitimacy to some less excusable barrow they push. I guess that is why I support our secular society, on the understanding that it is founded in a broad acceptance of the values of honesty and integrity and that anyone is free to live their life as they see fit so long as it is not at another's cost.

When I first heard about this man's death I was reminded of the similarities to our own families loss earlier this year of our baby brother, who was the was the same age as this man when he died unexpectantly of a heart attack.

I understand both men were fitness fanatics who watched what the ate and regularly exercised, the only difference being that because of my brother's top physical condition he refused to go see a doctor when he had chest pains. This decision cost him his life and it was only after his death did we find out the he had heart desease and were advised to have check up ourselves.

This decision saved my life, as I found out I have the same problem as well, so my message to all the readers of this page is to learn from these two tragic deaths and have a regular health check-up done ASAP

Irfan must be living in the galaxies, or at least making a living by writing "galactic" fairy tales, to consider that the clash between Islam--as interpreted by those who attacked New York, Bali, Madrid, and London and by a great number of others who are committed to a holy war and ready to enter the ranks of jihad--and the West is "intergalactic".

To make a rare person of Muslim origins like "crazy John", who was the "Kemal Ataturk" of business, totally liberated from his religion and fully integrated, unlike the majority of Muslims, to Australian beliefs and mores, as the embodiment of the feelings and beliefs of most Muslims who, beyond their pretensions, are inimical to the West, is laughable.

This is just another guileful attempt of Irfan to deceive the Australian public about the real beliefs of Muslims toward Western civilization.

http://kotzabasis4.wordpress.com

Drivel Irfan, drivel.

Islam had nothing to do with his financial success and you know it. He actually succeeded despite that mate.

Until I just read Irfan's bias I had never heard of John being referred to as Muslim. It wasn't a part of his advertising I would suggest.

That's because it was just a part of his life, as religion should be.

Shame on you Irfan for trying to use this man's life to try and prove some insane point. Shame.

Really, can't you try reading something else other than Muslim propaganda? It really is people like you that cause the problems between groups of people isn't it? Always claiming one side is the best and the other side the worst. Your type is called "urgers". People who sit on the sidelines stirring others up and then disappear when the trouble starts.

To explain it to you Irfan, Australia works as a country when people do NOT highlight the differences but rather highlight the similarities.

If you must continually talk about your religion then be inclusive. Include Christianity. They are both beliefs for those who need it rather than anything real but whatever helps right?

If you must insist on writing this constant barrage of inflammatory tripe why don't you write an item explaining which God is real. Muslim or Christian? Or are there 2 Gods? Or more?