I don't think we should expect all immigrants to change and fully assimilate. It's asking a lot and too much from certain cultures that differ significantly from our own. What I object to though is the apparent deliberate lack of acceptance of and even hostility demostrated by some migrants towards the culture that they find themselves in after leaving their own behind. There appears to be a deliberate resistance to assimilation, which is completely different from the lack of a strong attempt to assimilate.

And for me, that behaviour and attitude is what is responsible for the degree of hostility directed towards some migrant groups.

Banjo
"So what is to stop us from stoping early morning calls to prayer?
Do UN rules only apply to some?"
Banjo We are European , we are civilized people, we put the standards, we put the measure enough high, according to our values.
NO ONE CAN STOP US EXCEPT FROM OUR SELF, FROM OUR VALUES WHICH COME FROM OUR HIGH CIVILIZATION!
Banjo
Our big problem is that we are a small in population country in an area with billions of people and with totally different civilization.
We have two choices
1. we accept that sooner or later we will disappeared and simple we wait when will start the free trade and free movement or
2. We become member from European Union where we really belong.
Personally I want to see the Australia as member from European Union.
But forget me, may be I am the only one in this country.
THAT IS ME! I DID NOT PRESS ANYONE TO AGREE WITH ME! MY PERSONAL VIEW!

Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

antonios,
Well you have now changed your tune. In relation to early morning calls to prayer, you have said we cannot stop it-- it is international law which is stronger than state or federal law--- no one Australian government could do that.

Now you are saying that we are civilized people and subject to our own values. The facts are that international law is a farce and UN is laughable. We can stop early morning calls to prayer and stop loud music from annoying neighbors at any religious gathering if we so desire. We are a sovereign nation and can do as WE determine. Just like Iran, Zimbarbwe, China or USA.

In any case, I read once that many of the UN conventions that were agreed to by our political representatives are not valid because they have not been passed by Parliament or referendum. Looks like our reps were big noting themselves and bluffing us with bulldust.

Er, could somebody please point me to the UN Convention that says that Muslim early morning prayer calls are not subject to local laws?

I imagine that in Australia they would be subject to noise and public nuisance laws and regulation, in much the same way that way that lawnmowers, amplified music and, indeed, church bells are.

Banjo
There is no international police to press you to follow the international law, the countries which sing it they undertake the responsibility to respect it. In west countries, in civilized countries the courts, and police respect and follow it.
If there are limits to church bells then we can put limits on the prayer calls too,
Banjo simple we can not discriminate against any religious
NO DISCRIMINATION AND FREEDOM FROM RELIGIOUS.
We are civilized country, civilized people we can not use the Saudi Arabia as an example to do the same. Even if the law did not exist we had to respect their rights and try to create the law to protect their rights. WE ARE PIONEER ON HUMAN RIGHTS, AS OUR EUROPEAN BROTHERS.
BE PROUD FOR IT AND PROTECT AND DEFEND OUR CIVILIZATION, USING TOOLS FROM AND ACCORDING TO OUR CIVILIZATION!

Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

CJ says:

"I imagine that in Australia they would be subject to noise and public nuisance laws and regulation,"

Interesting point. It depends a lot on which laws are applicable to this kind of behavior.

If its local council laws but not state or federal....then the experience of Hamtramck USA is informative and educational.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/3358067/detail.html

After a ceremony at the Al-Islah Islamic Center -- attended by the city's mayor, members of City Council and a priest from nearby St. Stanislav Catholic Church -- the key to the amplifier was issued and Hamtramck's first call to prayer was chanted into a microphone and broadcast over loud speakers atop the mosque building.

In the Islamic faith, there are five calls to prayer, but in Hamtramck, only those at 1:35 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9:05 p.m. will be broadcast, according to the station's reports. The 5:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. prayers will be withheld.

POINTS TO NOTE.
1/ The noise ordinance had to be 'amended' first.
2/ There are minor limitations on which calls can be broadcast. (early and late are verboten, but the mosque applied for all 5)

MY COMMENT. I would be quite happy for a total ban on any public expression of religion which cannot reasonably be avoided. This includes Church bells.

The 'bells' just say "time to pray/worship" The Islamic call is not just to prayer it is an evangelistic/da'wa call to Islam! There is a heck of a difference.
It includes actual words which are insulting to Christians.

Note this also: "The mosque is located across the street from St. Ladislaus Catholic Church"!

Joanne Golan 68, resident.
"My main objection is simple," she said. "I don't want to be told that Allah is the true and only God five times a day, 365 days a year. It's against my constitutional rights to have to listen to another religion evangelize in my ear."