Sancho

The Amnesty International in its Annual Report for 2009 reaffirmed that Turkey still holds a poor record on human rights.

Turkey has also systematically targeted the Greek Orthodox Christian community through a series of policies, resulting in killings.

Civil life is severely restricted by the restrictions of freedom of peaceful assembly too.

“Another significant matter is the lack of respect towards refugees and asylum- seekers who are increasingly forced to leave the country.

"The report asserts that on occasions, members of such groups were said to have been beaten and threatened with rape unless they deported the country. There have even been claims that some died in the process.”

Wasn’t it the “democratically elected” Hezbollah who invented the suicide bomber? During the early eighties, the unprecedented actions of their suicide bombers in Lebanon, blew up some 60 French peacekeeping personnel and a couple of hundred US and UK military personnel.

An unrelated report states also that at the United Nations, “Muslim nations are working to make "Islamophobia" a prosecutable or actionable offence, even in countries with a strong free speech tradition.

"Their first victory came in March 2008 when the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the U.N.'s most powerful voting bloc, sponsored a resolution at the U.N. Human Rights Council urging a global ban on the public defamation of religion, with a focus on Islam. The measure passed easily. Indeed, the OIC's 57 members usually push through their agenda with ease.”

And proof of the existence of any supernatural deity by the appellant, is not a requirement in the matter of prosecutions.

It seems that published, innocuous criticism of any religion is now officially regarded as a personal attack on the devotees.

Atheists, agnostics or the religious with a different belief, hold your tongues or you will incur a writ. Infidels – en garde!

Foxy and Pied Piper,
Girls, I suggest that you have not given much thought to culture. Do you really think that our Australian culture is so shallow that it can be defined in 350 words. that is an insult and as unreasonable as me asking either of you to define the culture of your birthplace.

If you cannot come up with just one culture that is identical to ours then my contention the our culture is unique is correct. Probably the NZ culture is the closest to ours, but there are differences. PP mentioned one thing she found different, on arrival, and am sure there are many more. Both of you have traveled extensively so you would be well aware of different cultures.

So our culture is unique but I have never said perfect. There are many aspects of our culture that I am not happy about either, but it is our culture and not someone elses. It will also continue to change and evolve. Like being home for Sunday dinner (lunch) was mandatory years ago but does not apply today.

Foxy, where ever did you get the notion that I want an all white society?

PP You said "Not acceptable"? "modifacation"? Yes there are many cultural practices/habits not acceptable here and I gave but a few examples. If you want more try, clearing your nose on the footpath or picking your nose in public. These actions were common when I was last in Hong kong. In some cultures it apparently is common for mothers and/or older siblings to mastabate babies to calm them down. Not done here, least not in public! Eating of dog meat or dolphin is not acceptable here.

So every migrant that comes here has to modify his culture to be part of our society. Some not so much, but others a great deal.

We only have a problem with those who cannot or will not change to suit our society.

I can also argue that multiculturalism is a misnomer and that we are multi-racial but not multicultural. Which other culture is wholly acceptable?

Banjo, err nuffink.

Your country, your rules... same as I believed in Saudi. But I guess I was just visiting there. I just have not experienced the Muslims thought of with such disdain before.

Sorry Foxy - I need to bow out and let you deal with Banjo. I've been sick a few days now (annoyed me cause I had my flu shots months ago) and just got a call from a caseworker saying that some kids that arrived last week had a carer with swine flu and that the carer knew it a few days before the kids left.

I'm rather angry about it. Is tamiflu free? Ten people live here, and visitors, kids on access, kids on repsite weekends.

You wait, I'm gonna be moaning and complaining all over the place.[smile]

Antonios,
In my post to Foxy, I made mention of a number of alien cultural practices that I contend that WE (being our society) do not find acceptable.

Now Antonios, tell me which of those do YOU think are acceptable now or should be in your Australian utophia.

In another thread, I said you were a stupid, self opinionated fool. Nothing has changed.

Dear Banjo,

You haven't answered my question - as to how
you define "Australian Culture." Or in what
way is Australia unique? I'm not trying to be
contentious here - I'm merely curious.
And, because you didn't answer the question - I
made the assumption that you were refering to
a "White Australia." Afterall that's what the trend
in the past used to be ...

However, It seems that we're not that far apart
in our thinking. I agree with you that in order
for society to work it needs to have shared values.
By the way, I was born in Australia, grew up here,
was educated here, married here, and am very proud
to call myself Australian - I thought
you knew that. My ancestry is Lithuanian.

Every group that has come to Australia has faced a
lot of intolerance but over time they would
integrate in Australia as effectively as any other
ethnic group. And as I've said in my other posts,
the minority communities are a core part of Australia's
national identity.

So what are we arguing about exactly?

It's quite simple, Foxy - Australian culture is the sum of all the beliefs, behaviours, knowledge, values, attitudes in which Banjo engages. Anything else is unAustralian.