SPQR,

Yes, I'm sure anyone standing on a soapbox in the middle of Martin Place spruiking anti-Muslim rhetoric would encounter loads of Ayatollahs just itching to put a fatwa on them.

More likely they'd be bypassed as cranks - or challenged by ordinary passers-by.

Grow up.....

Poirot,

Your tips on the books Tom has written are so well timed.

Our T.V. is down, and can't get it fixed until Friday, so I'm off to the library to see if I can get one or more of Tom's books. We read voraciously,and have a super library to draw on - it's attached to a university campus

Will have to rely solely on newspapers and the 'net for news this week.

@Poirot,
<< Yes, I'm sure anyone standing on a soapbox in the middle of Martin Place spruiking anti-Muslim rhetoric would encounter loads of Ayatollahs just itching to put a fatwa on them…>>

I am quite sure that practically anyone could stand in Martin Place (Sydney) –or even, straight outside any of Sydney’s fine cathedrals and rave on about how bad Catholics or Jehovah Witnesses or, even, Christ was.

But, I wouldn’t like their chances of coming away with both life and limb intact if they were to stand near any of the mosques in Sydney’s south west and rave on a how bad Mohammed was(even if you were pointing out factual events in his life!) –and there would be no need for them to encounter any Ayatollahs or official fatwas ---and, it certainly would NOT be wise to do any such thing in Islamabad, Tehran or Cairo.

Take off your rose coloured glasses!

SPQR,

No doubt you're onto something : )

Deliberately stirring up antipathy with provocative rhetoric may lead to confrontation (Human Nature 101) - who da thunk that?

(I wonder how a Catholic would go raving on about how bad Protestants are in front of a Protestant church in Northern Ireland - or vice versa?)

anyhoooo....

The point I was making is that the likes of you and Belly are far more likely to toss around your firebrand rhetoric behind the safety of the ramparts provided by online forums like this - simply because you can do it with no repercussions.

I can't see either of you spruiking "anywhere" (in the physical sense) in public - except perhaps among like-minded mates.

>>I am quite sure that practically anyone could stand in Martin Place (Sydney) –or even, straight outside any of Sydney’s fine cathedrals and rave on about how bad Catholics or Jehovah Witnesses or, even, Christ was.

But, I wouldn’t like their chances of coming away with both life and limb intact if they were to stand near any of the mosques in Sydney’s south west and rave on a how bad Mohammed was(even if you were pointing out factual events in his life!)<<

Sounds like a dare to me. I'm game :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joMffCDjyEI

I draw inspiration from the Amazing Racist: he survived with both life and limb intact and went on to make even funnier videos. My favourites are the black and asian episodes.

I'd like to offer a side wager - of any reasonable sum with the winnings to be donated to charity - that in the commission of this daring dare I shall be hassled more by Her Majesty's Loyal Constabulary than by any of those filthy foreign towelheads with their weird heathen beliefs.

Cheers,

Tony

Poirot,

<<I wonder how a Catholic would go raving on about how bad Protestants are in front of a Protestant church in Northern Ireland - or vice versa?>>
As Maxwell Smart would say: “The old *Northern Ireland* caper, eh –is that the only one your could come up with?”

<<I can't see either of you spruiking "anywhere" (in the physical sense) in public - except perhaps among like-minded mates>>
How would us spruiking in public change anything?
I –and I assume Belly –have busy lives to lead. We can only donate a small percentage of our time to educate and awaken people on OLO. When we’re AFK @ OLO we’re tending soup kitchens for the needy or helping poor old ladies cross busy roads.