Police began to use selective law enforcement. They selected targets that were unlikely to use their ethnic background and cultural beliefs to hinder police investigations or arrests. It was mostly Anglo Saxons and Asians that were the targets, because they were under represented by religious leaders and the media. They were soft targets.

Racist bigot Muslims raping and killing white Australians prompted the Cronulla riots where only 5 or so brown people got bashed.

Polycarp,
I know nothing of this matter. I just noted that in one of your previous posts you appeared to give too much reference to a particular article. By searching for some of those terms in the article I was easily able to find what/who/where you were talking about. So just be careful. Hope you understand this.
regards, ozzie.

It seems to me a number of commenters are confusing their personal biases and fears (faith) with public policy and hijacking all mention of Muslim/Islam as a stalking horse to unload to gain more relevance. (“praise the Lord and pass the ammunition” mentality)

The issue was to about giving Australian Muslims a fair go and that Islam isn’t Arabic for terrorist any more than all Christians share the ‘Brethren’ or ‘Branch Dravidians’ world view.

CJ is literally correct. There already has been several orders magnitude of misery caused by Christians in AUSTRALIA than from Islam. Much of the grief today between the two religions in Australia is caused by ‘so called Christians’ allegedly in the name of Christianity.

Much of the bigotry and discrimination to Muslims goes unreported because many fear retaliation.
i.e. I chased off three youths on bikes that were riding past, kicking at and screaming religious abuse at a diminutive Muslim woman with three small children simply walking to the shops. She was fearful of laying a complaint even though she knew one attacker.

The real purpose of any organization is to focus authority/leadership and therefore GZ interpretation as to the arcane nature of the Koran is valid one but not the only one. But what is missed is that the same could be said of the Bible and Christianity (or any other organized religion and text). It is simply not reasonable to read the texts from another cultural faith and then claim absolute insight. Christianity is more than just the Bible.

The idea there are two faiths in the world “Mine and the wrong one” is beneath contempt as it degrades their own religion as much as the target. In reality everyone is entitled to believe in what ever faith THEY chose. The problem comes about when individuals confuse their rights as an individual with public policy. Christians have no more right to impose their views on public policy than does anyone else. Neither is ridicule an viable argument.
Human rights in a democracy aren’t conditional on being of a faith less odious than someone else’s.

Calling any criticism of Islam by the epithet "Islamophobia" is just a way for Islamists and their apologists to deflect justified criticism of their religion.

“Irrational fear of Islam.”

If fear of Islam is irrational, then fear of any other totalitarian and authoritarian political and social system, like Nazism or Communism, for example, must be equally irrational.

Unfortunately for the Islamists, there is just too much evidence of the real nature of their so-called "religion of peace" to be ignored. If you can’t acknowledge that, then you are not being honest.

I don't so much FEAR Islam, as I DESPISE it.

Like all these other "isms", it will be defeated eventually, but the question is, at what cost?

Is it not sensible to seek to minimise the problem by reducing the number of Muslims in the West?

If they want to come here and adapt to our system, fine. They would need to cut out about 80% of the Koran in order to do so.

In Europe, and even here in Australia, Muslims are asserting their religion, its precepts and its authoritarianism to take precedence over the tolerant and free society we have in the West. A strong response is needed to discourage this, and to encourage moderation.

Islam needs a Reformation before it can be compatible with democracy and our way of life.

C J Morgan, your viewpoint is confused. It is true, as you say, that Islam has come from the same root as Judaism and Christianity, but there the similarity ends.

The Cronulla riots were the result of a massive failure by the NSW Labour Government to keep control of Lebanese Muslim thugs and their transgressions at Cronulla Beach for many years prior.

Your mentioning the Cronulla riots is just an attempt to divert the conversation on to a subject well covered at the time and since. Please desist.

As an agnostic, my view is that all religion is irrational, but I can live with Judaism and Christianity, because they are no longer dangerous to my freedom not to believe. With Islam, the opposite is the case.

Dear Ozzie...

thanx for that. Glad you are not connected to the events..or the memories.

I'm trying now to glean testimonies from other blokes (from my course) who experienced the same disgusting and degrading violence as I did.

If you ever wonder where my strong sense of 'justice' comes from...that would be one of the defining moments (that period of my life).. the other was an 8 yr stint in Malaysia.

Did you tweak to my reference to the Count of Monte Cristo ? :)

Think about that one mate...

-What happened to him ?
-What did he do about it?
-Did it take a long time?
-How did things end up for those who mistreated him?

aaah.. by answering those questions.. you might just be reading a real life screenplay of my life :)

BACK to "Islamophobia". I'd just like to reiterate the primary point that the "Phobia" part is by definition "irrational fear"...something which is the subject of considerable debate.

So...I have to support the author in one sense.. i.e. "No..let's not have a wave of irrational fear about Muslims".. rather.. (this is where I differ from the author) Let's have a good hard look at Islam from the theological and historical perspective and then..draw very rational conclusions about how we should frame our public policy.

Froggie,

A very good response by you. Right on the button.

As for CJ Morgan, you have had the gall to say that you had deduced that I, along with GZ, where christian.

Sorry but you have got that wrong as well. Just goes to show how not doing your homework properly makes one look a bit dopey.