Aussies are known to speak their minds, which can also be known as a form of telling the truth..telling it 'how it is'.
Mariah, you're confusing convenient truth with inconvenient truth.

re Jihad sheilas, "She says she feels more sympathy for the Afghanis than for the Bali bombing victims, "because they weren't holidaying in someone's country sometimes engaging in child pornography or paedophilia or drug taking".

That is a very, very valid point. I know quite a few Australians who exploit the "cheap" asian countries. Only a few days ago a Commonwealth public servant told me about how "cheap the young girls are up there" and, that he'll be spending most of his retirement there. A couple I know always buy clothing from asian countries because it's "cheap"
These Australians are no better than those who they point the finger at.

So what's the problem with buying cheap clothing? And why is doing that no better than.....whatever it was you you said?

The individuals killed in the Bali bombing were certainly not predominantly anything but holiday makers. For that idiot woman to make claims about the victims being in some way deserving of their fate is an absurdity.

The only question I have with that program on the ABC is why did they bother showing it let alone making. Its the sort of sensationalist rubbish that used to be shown only on the commercial stations.

To say that this woman made a "very valid point" Individual, indicates that you haven't got a clue. Don't you realise that the number of people who behave unethically in Asia, in the way that are referring to, is a small minority. To group them in the way you have done with Bali victims is ignorant and disrespectful.

Ditch,
I have no intention to be disrespectful to the victims. It simply is not my nature & for you to say so is showing that you are the one with tunnel vision regarding to live amongst different cultured people. I expected for someone to burr up when being critical about Australians after all it's their nature to criticise everyone else but unable to cope with it when put in front of a mirror.
All I drew attention to was that many Australians have a reputation for being noisy, disrespectful & a pain generally. If you take note of the news you will find almost daily reference to that. So, when you have years & years of crap from morons looking for a cheap thrill at the expense of poor people you're bound to cop serious consequences. You may be a perfectly good person but many of your compatriots are a disgrace. What's wrong with buying cheap clothing that's made by child labour? THINK !

The "Jihad Sheilas" are more to be pitied than pilloried.

It does the rest of us good to hear such points of view.
Hopefully, it serves to inoculate some more of us against the contagion that belief systems are all the same, & all we need do is join hands in a circle and sing ‘que sera sera’, and all will turn out fine.

Though somehow , I doubt if the ABC programmers had such noble intentions.I think their motives had more to do with publicity than nurturing free expression/education :First they run a program that some will see a unbalanced & vilifying Islam.And the next week, some other ABC program will run a program that bemoans the (unreasonably/irrational ) anti-Islamic sentiment in Aust society–it’s a win win!

To all the religios of whatever faith who post here:

For the sake of argument ONLY I'll assume the following.

--There exists a creator of the universe.

--For reasons that escape me the creator takes a personal interest in our species.

--The creator thinks that for our own good we ought to worship him.

With all that, none of you have any EVIDENCE that your particular holy book(s) is (are) the word of the creator.

You accept the authenticity of your holy books on FAITH ALONE.

For the most part, in a secular democracy, this does not matter. If Christians believe that Jesus is God incarnate they're welcome.

Hindus are free to believe that the universe goes through cycles of creation and destruction. In fact Hindus may even be right on that score.

But of all the holy books, the koran stands out.

--The koran alone declares that other holy books, notably the bible's, have been corrupted. It then sets out to correct what is contained in these books. (And Muslims demand that we not "insult" their faith!)

--The koran alone commands Muslims, under certain ill-defined circumstances, to crucify, torture and slaughter vaguely defined groups such as "idolaters" or those who wage war against "Allah" and "his" people – TO THIS DAY. ("TO THIS DAY" is what makes the koran different from eg the Old Testament. There are, for example, no Amalekites around anymore for Jews to slay)

For examples see koran 5:33 and 9:5

The trouble with accepting violent holy books like the koran ON FAITH ALONE is that what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. We are all surely as free to slaughter, crucify and torture Muslims who war against our faiths as Muslims are to do the same to kafirs.

--Perhaps the Israeli government should crucify Hamas members.

--Perhaps the problem with Abu Ghraib was that the inmates were humiliated instead of having hands and feet amputated.

Monty Python, religion trumps you in the theatre of the absurd.

In some Christian places, “honour killings” - a harkback to primitive custom - are still practiced. They are illegal, nevertheless they continue.

Obviously all Muslims don’t take the Koran literally - certainly many Iranian Muslims look at the Koran quite differently than other groups. Malay Muslims of years ago were nothing like what we see today. I don’t know about Arab Muslims. However, as evidenced OLO, many are enlightened and kind. But, until such time as the Koran is addressed and re-appraised by Islamic religious leaders, very serious problems are going to remain. This is further complicated because there has been so much conflict between, and within Arab (Muslim) states, indeed Muslim groups, as to make any form of concensus virtually impossible. It is not surprising then, that non-Muslims are cautious about Muslims, and of what particular groups might be capable. When outrageous comments are made from certain sections of the Muslim community, perhaps other Muslims should raise their voices loud in protest and condemnation. Being part of a minority, they may feel diffident about doing so.

This issue has to be addressed by Muslim on Muslim. For other groups to get involved is a recipe for disaster. At best non-Muslims would be seen as offending Muslim sensibilities; at worst, condemning them outright. However, we should support Muslims, such as those in Iran, and elsewhere, who want change.