Yes, runner...I wonder why immigrants congregate in ghettos and such like.

Perhaps it's got something to do with the reception they get from the natives.

I mean, I can imagine that perusing this thread would warm the cockles of any Muslim's heart.

You blokes accuse those who you reject with doing exactly what you're doing now....that's your complaint isn't it? - that Muslim's want to stick with their own kind and they engage in hate-speak.

Tell me the difference?

Belly seems to think that because he is a citizen of this country, that he can engage in the sort of rhetoric he condemns in migrants. My take is if a person has an argument, then that argument should rest on principle. Either hate speech and bigotry is wrong in a socially civilised society, or it's not. It shouldn't depend on whether you're a citizen or not.

Belly as I pointed out to you I am not here to defend religions. I am an atheist who see's all religions for what they are, rubbishy superstition. Many religions claim to have large numbers of devotees, however the vast majority of devotees are simple followers, sheep. A small number of devotees are leaders or zealots.
Belly being a man of statistics, here is some for you. In a World population of 7B, 2.3B claim they are Christian, 1.5B claim they are Muslim. According to the census Australia had a population of 21.5M of which 13M (61%) claimed to be Christian, 1.5M (7%) Non-Christian of which 480,000 (2,2%) claim Muslim.
Your whole line of argument, as I see it, is the world is full of bad people, who do, and who plan to commit terrible atrocities against their fellow man, many such people claim to be acting in the name of the Islamic faith, Muslims, agreed. But I would like to know of the 1.5B Muslims in the World how many are actually radical zealots ready to die for Allah. I suspect once you take away the benign follows and the moderate leaders and devotee, the radicals may not be that large a number, but they are there and they are dangerous people. I must agree Islam has it share of radicals as does Christianity and many other religions.
I'm sure Australia like the United States and other countries is not immune from religious lunatics. Belly you target Australia's 480,000 Muslims, you try and tar them all with the same brush. As dangerous as religions can be, it is far more dangerous to single out any group in society because they are different in some way, or because a small number act in a anti social or criminal way. The way the Nazis targeted the Jews, they started their anti Jewish campaign as a "moderate necessity" you are prepared to do the same to Australia's Islamic community, no matter how you wish to pretty it up, or paint it as necessary, there are so many similarities, its not funny.

SPQR thanks but your task is unachievable.
You are aware of my politics and I of yours.
Yet my fight against both right wing power brokers, thieves and criminals,in the ALP has another target.
Unpleasant as it is I must distance my party from some thing it played a roll in, inflicting this trouble on us.
Howard had friends in the ALP.
Failing to understand this country thinks for its self, even candidates ALP ones, and female, undermined the party mid election.
By screaming for a fair go for?
Boat people.
Howard like right now, minority's so very small go close to crippling my party, for generations.
In being the Nasty xenophobe I am, along with about 75% of this country,s people I sin.
I wounder why SOME so clearly support that creed, and as easily turn away from the victims.
A question for level headed folk, how can the west ever live in peace with this creed.
SPQR fear not, if I leave it will not be because I am driven out, one of the gang of three, actually abused me because my threads went on too long?
I have no fear of confrontation.
But fear till death those who see only one side.

Poirot & co appear to believe that one day after Friday prayers the good staff at the abovementioned association were peacefully websurfing when they suddenly came upon the offending fatwa. Being totally flummoxed by the unexpected finding; nothing in their holy books had ever prepared them for such sentiments; no where during their training at Al-Azhar (Egypt) had they experienced such chauvinism! They straight away had it stricken from their Facebook,had the author disciplined, and ordered a halal skywriter to cover the sky in: “Merry Xmas to all” wishes.

But there is another possibility, which goes: that it was not until the infidel media started making a noise that they had it removed.

And cynical old me can’t help but wonder – WHAT IF?
What if the infidel media only represented a minority
--like say, the Copts of Egypt
--the Bahai in Iran
--the animists in Sudan
Would the association’s response had been as sympathetic,tolerant...and NEW AGE?

Would the sky writer still have been writing “Merry Xmas to all” Or, would he have written: “God is great --Stuff all infidels”
________________________________________________________________

Belly,

As you said we are part of a number of issues—though not as many as you think.
But I can always rely on you to take a principled stand—and defend Australia’s interests.
I feel a little guilty that I avoided returning to this thread for a long time, and let you to carry the can-- apologies for that.

A "..principled stand...".

That's hilarious.

Do you actually know what the word principle means, SPQR?

In this case Belly is applying one rule for himself and one for Muslims.

Yes, we condemn the likes of divisive hate-speak from wherever it emanates...but...but...Belly reckon's that three quarters of Aussies think Muslims shouldn't be here, so then it's okay for him to indulge in that which he condemns in Muslims et al.

That's not arguing on principle - that's setting one rule for yourself and one for the others.

Belly,

"...gang of three..."

Rather melodramatic, don't you think? You sure get tetchy when someone opposes your views, don't you.

Perhaps you'd care to link to the post where one of the "gang of three" abused you because your threads went on too long.

...because I think you're twisting the meaning there to suit your stance.

Link please....

Lexi “I do not see minority cultures as alien”

Then you know nothing of history, anthropology, linguistics.
Even a rudimentary knowledge would show some cultures are related and some are not.
“Alien” just means unrelated.
This is the case with the natural world too.
Are cane toads alien, or just a “minority” species we should show tolerance and compassion for?

“and as a threat to social cohesion.”

What does it take? A mushroom cloud over Lucas Heights?
No doubt you'd still be making excuses and trying to weasel out of any decisive action.

Watch the news. It will only get worse the longer this goes on.
How many of your nonthreatening minorities are committing crimes already (against Australians, and *other minorities*)?

The police and media almost *never* reveal ethnicity.

You don't hear “Turkish immigrant, 36 murders Korean immigrant, 52 in car park”.
You only hear “Man, 36 murders man, 52 in car park”.

“I see them as a core part of our national identity.”

Well, if takeaway food is "core"...

How can something so peripheral and new be “core” to a nation?

Wasn't core at Lambing Flat, wasn't core during the many, many years of “White Australia” policy.
No, it's core to *your contemporary ideology*. Big difference.

“You can't change the past [not trying to], but you can ruin the present, by worrying about the future”

Or ruin the future by not worrying about the present.

“the world is divided into two categories: Other People and Us.”

Damn right. So can “us” include everyone?
Realistically, not in some wishful thinking fairytale, but *real* world, real life.

I don't think so. There are *thousands* of cultures!
You could have a very broad definition, but not *everything*.