Fortunately, Horus, faith is not a requirement.

>>“There is a LESS-THAN-ZERO chance that I will ever be required to find out what life is like "under Islam". LOL Gee, faith like that must surely be heaven sent.<<

On a purely rational basis, I figured that my chances of living to an age where any one of the following occurs is - that's right - less than zero.

- Australia becomes an Islamic republic. Heck, we can't even make the decision to become a non-Islamic republic, so there's no chance there.

- any other country I might decide to live in becomes an Islamic republic. That takes in all of Europe, both North and South America and a considerable portion of Asia. Demographically, it just ain't going to happen. Even Turkey, with a 98% Muslim population, is still a relatively free country, and one where I could live and work unthreatened.

- any country I might decide to live in, including Australia, is invaded and taken over by force, by Islamic forces.

You see, when you actually work out what needs to occur before the fate you see in store for me comes about, the chances are extremely slim.

And it won't come about either, stevenlmeyer, through the growth of sharia courts.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article3334760.ece

Beth Din operates - and has operated for centuries, apparently - on much the same basis.

"British Jews, particularly the orthodox, will frequently turn to their own religious courts, the Beth Din, to resolve civil disputes, covering issues as diverse as business and divorce."

As the cover of the Hitchhiker's Guide reminds us, Don't Panic.

Unfortunately, Pericles, your risk assessment modelling is flawed .You left option four off your list of possibilities:
-- While travelling overseas from A to B, you get accidentally or deliberately diverted to C, which turns out to be Club Taliban, or worse .

And I know it’s pedantic , but, there is a difference between
i) something happening in your life time, and
ii) something happening “at some point”--- so perhaps the jury is still out re Leigh’s case .

And in a similar vein, it does not necessarily follow that because Beth Din hasn’t, to date, result in anything sinister, the new Sharia courts wont either “at some point”.---so perhaps the jury is still out re Stevenlmeyer’s case also.

"Don't Panic, don't Panic Captain Mainwaring. They don't like it up em!´: Corporal Jones guide to threat management .

Horus, there's always a chance.

>>While travelling overseas from A to B, you get accidentally or deliberately diverted to C, which turns out to be Club Taliban, or worse <<

There's a chance a whole heap of things could happen, including a piano falling on my head as I walk down George Street.

But given the equation "number of kilometers flown" divided by "number of hijackings", and "number of times I walk down George Street" divided by "number of falling pianos", I prefer not to live in perpetual fear of either Club Taliban or a gravity-enhanced Steinway.

>>there is a difference between i) something happening in your life time, and ii) something happening “at some point”...so perhaps the jury is still out re Leigh’s case<<

Not at all.

"Leigh's case" was "when the time comes, you will stick your bum in the air and face Mecca", which quite specifically deals exclusively with what happens in my lifetime. If I stick my bum in the air and face Mecca after I'm dead, I suspect I will care less.

>>it does not necessarily follow that because Beth Din hasn’t, to date, result in anything sinister, the new Sharia courts wont either “at some point”.---so perhaps the jury is still out re Stevenlmeyer’s case also.<<

That's pretty thin gruel, as far as logic goes.

Of course, the Beth Din courts could turn feral tomorrow, and... do what, exactly?

These are voluntary tribunals. Those that front them are still protected by the full gamut of the law. To achieve what stevenlmeyer fears will be achieved, there needs to be a full takeover of the legal system, which requires a preceding democratic expression of the will of the people.

That ain't gonna happen in my lifetime either.

>>"Don't Panic, don't Panic Captain Mainwaring. They don't like it up em!´: Corporal Jones guide to threat management.<<

And as far as panic is concerned, the pessimism of the Leighs of this world is well suited to the Corporal Jones outlook, I would have thought.

For myself, I'm comfortable with Ford Prefect's assessment of Earth as "mostly harmless"