BENNIE... stick at it, we will get there.

SECULAR DEMOCRACY and ISLAMIST POWER.

A classic example of how 'minorities impact majorities' is illustrated abundantly clearly in the US state of Michigan.

Senator Conyers proposed a resolution on 'Religious Tolerance' which was basically a "Protect Islam, the Quran, and Muslims from any and all criticism" bill

He did NOT mention the protection of either Jews or Christians from 'Islamic' intolerance. He does mention "Abrahamic faiths including Judaism_and_Christianity should be respected"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Conyers#Ban_bigotry_against_Islam

He proposed "House Resolution 288"

At first glance it might seem that he is just a 'concerned politician'
but then... looking at his constituency we find:

http://www.johnconyers.com/district

It includes about half of Detroit,and both Dearborn and Hamtrmack, all with very large Muslim populations. Hamtramck being in the news about the Islamic call to prayer being forced on residents!

Now..for those who say "This is just democracy in action" fine... it is.. but is it more? Is it not teaching us that small minorities exercising power through elected representatives can have greatly over-proportional influence on the whole country?

Absolutely it is!

So... it is in the interests of all citizens to be active in fighting this disproportionate influence by all lawful means. (for those annoyed by Christian influence..I say 'you go 4 it' All I ask is don't try to make laws preventing us practicing our faith, which includes the right to share it, and declare what scripture teaches.)

Our scriptures do not teach us to make war on any other faith apart from with the 'heavenly' weapons of faith and reason and the Gospel.

Other scriptures, particlarly those of Islam specifically command them to make WAR against Christians and Jews by name, and infidels in general until they are militarily subjugated.

If Mohammad systematically slaughtered a surrendered tribe of Jewish males, democracy says I can declare that historic truth. Just as others can cite the crusades.
Resolutions such as 288 are just a tiny step away from 'Truth is no defense' in so called hate crime legislation.

At that point, we are back2theFuture with 1984 and the Ministry of Truth.

While I certainly don't share the rabidly Islamophobic sentiments of Boazy et al, I think that Keysar Trad's article is a bit precious:

<< I should be able to present arguments in defence of my faith and also my point of view, even if either of these is unpopular >>

As has been pointed out - albeit in needlessly bellicose terms - there is no question in Australian society that Muslims can't express their points of view. Obviously, the publication of Trad's article argues against this notion, as does the presentation of a petition against the content of a particular university subject.

Of course, there is no equivalent presumption that Trad's point of view should prevail, nor that a petition to a university on religious grounds should succeed. In this case, I hope sincerely that the university upheld the academic freedom of the lecturer. Those who object to the subject for whatever reason can of course enrol in something else.

The objections of Muslim fundamentalists to a university subject should be accorded exactly the same status as objections from, say, a fundamentalist Christian or radical feminist group - i.e. zilch.

Hear, hear CJ MORGAN!

Very well put.

excellent posts, Morgan and meyer. i would suggest that at times howling down someone effectively negates any right given to them to speak. and, though like you i'm hugely protective of academic freedom, there are real situations which test the waters.

but here it seems to me you're spot on: trad is being a little too precious, and some of those who have responded to him have been a little too ... "bellicose"? i'd say they've been a little too rabid.

"I see no point in any of this 'interfaith' stuff to be honest." Boazy

What about inter-Christian faiths. Many Christians take the Eucharist in churches of different denominations. Said Christiams are happy but the Church leaders dislike the practise owing to the underlying positions of doctrine.

Do you think it is correct that the Australian Chief od State, presently, The Queen, must take a Coronation that there is no such valid doctrine as transubstantiation? Should a Catholic or a Jew or a Muslim be allowed to ascend to the Throne? If not, why not?

Best regards.

Ginx, I agree with most of what you said, but I blame bigotry and not religion, it can be non-religious bigotry as in the case of Hitler or Stalin or those who incited the Rwandan conflict and other riots. These bigots may belong to any religion, including unfortunately Islam, this is why religions have periods in their history that are aberrations from the message.
Arjay, I never called David Clarke to comment on anything, his producer would call me and plead with me for an interview, that day, he took offence to me saying that the killing of a wounded unarmed civilian inside a place of worship was as callous as the killing of a female aid worker who had been kidnapped. The next morning, as if to apologise for what Clarke did, Alan Jones invited me for an interview which I did inside his studio, there was no apology from them though and Clarke did get carried away with his comment about me.
Boaz, Abu Bakr said: if they would stop paying me even the rope (used to tie a) beast that they used to pay in zakat to the prophet, I would fight them for it. They were tax wars, pure and simple. The Persians were a threat to the Holy-land which they kept invading and also to their neighbours. I want to again thank turnrightehnleft and refer you Boaz to: http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/38133-mccain-s-spiritual-guide-wants-america-to-destroy-islam?utm_source=rgemail it shows anyone can abuse and misuse any religion.
VK3AUU, let us not forget that Hilali is the same man who risked his life to go to Iraq outside the protected green zone to save a non-Muslim fellow Australian, he was character assassinated for comments that were not translatable in the same light as they were delivered or intended. He has repeatedly apologised and explained that he was only addressing Muslim women with ideas to support modesty and to discourage sex outside of marriage. He continues to say that all he is doing is giving advice and people can dress as they chose as for the students, I am sorry that you had that experience.