Dear Danielle,

As I stated earlier -
All Australians are free to follow
any religion they choose, so long as its practices
do not break any Australian law. They're also free not
to follow a religion. Religious laws have no legal
status in Australia.

onthebeach,

You make extremely valid points.

There is undoubtedly the need for more, and legally enforcing strictures. I am not PC in ignoring the pounding of elephants round the room.

Perhaps we need to ramp up some of our laws ... such as cruelty to animals. Unfortunately, we know of horrors committed in some of our own abattoirs; a number have been prosecuted, undoubtedly many not. By making cruelty to animals a graver offence than seen now, then these laws could be extended into other areas.

I am aware of diy circumcisions with terrible results. Ask any doctor at children's hospitals and they will tell of deformities they have had to correct, indeed of medical emergencies. Obviously, averting the eyes to such issues is wrong; these should be addressed.

When married migrants arrive, I believe that the age of marriage of the woman needs be established. If evidence indicates that she was married under-age, she should have the right either to be considered single or to be married legally under our law.

There are many issues that could/should be resolved.

Interestingly, Muslim women have set up refuges for young women and girls promised or being forced into marriages. Many such women are seeing the freedom of our women, and they are increasingly unhappy about their own situations. Perhaps it will be the women who are at the forefront of change. These women are certainly challenging traditional rights.

RawMustard,

Perhaps many Muslims do ascribe to stoning of adulterers, execution of homosexuals and also apostates. But unless they actually enforce this, they are not committing a crime.

Foxy..If everybody understands that it must eventually be integrated
living together, then we can go forward in peace. Otherwise
if it is segregated living together in big-divided-by-culture
tribes, well look at the Arabs and the Jews. Bloody territorial
warfare with no solution on either side.

Australians pick your future, integration or big-divided-by-culture
tribes. It will probably be your children or grandchildren's
future you set in place not yours.

I take heart Foxy that you and your family have integrated well'
and I also hope that next generations will do so too.

That is the point I am trying to get across to those who think
they can live in cultural divide forever. I want us all to be one
big happy integrated people,
I don't give a dam if people have different religions or
food styles as long as they don't practise division and segregation.

onthebeach

Thank you

Foxy-"As I stated earlier -
All Australians are free to follow
any religion they choose, so long as its practices
do not break any Australian law. They're also free not
to follow a religion. Religious laws have no legal
status in Australia."

They could very quickly gain legal status if ever you get
a majority of fundamentalists elected to parliament.
Notice "the Family First Party" who recently stood for
parliament" Or the huge political lobbying of politicians
by the church over "gay marriage." The church can refuse to
marry gays any time they like. So why are they trying to
interfere with the legal law-making of the country.

Most churches try their darndest to push their ideas into government
all the time. They couldn't remain non-political if they tried.
It is so important that a parliament of fundamentalist religious
believers never gains complete control in Government again.

Sorry Foxy my sweet, I know you believe what you say, but I can't possibly agree. I'm afraid it is your wishful thinking, & nothing else talking there.

There is just too much history proving it goes the other way, when different communities with very different religions or cultures occupy the same space. The less industrious community always blames their ethnicity, & the "others" for their lack of success, prosperity.

We are heading for another Sri Lanka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, or a hundred other such civil wars, because we have been stupid enough to believe this multiculturalism rubbish.

Our earlier immigration, particularly post WW11 worked because our intake was similar to the existing population, allowing full integration, which was actively promoted.

Every where we have large ethnic populations we have high crime, often leading to street gang warfare.

You may recall my son had his skull fractured in 4 places, when attacked by a bunch of 4 of Sydney's "Lebs", simply because he was walking home alone & white. Fools like Tony Lavis will try to find some excuse for this behavior, right up until it happens to him. I wonder if even that will cause some of our idiots to wake up, before it's too late.