'That aside, I don't think there's any doubt whatsoever that Islam is an extremely violent practice, as evidenced by those two young blokes who decapitated that young soldier (all in the name of Islam) in London in the last twelve months or so ? '

true o sung wu however the secularist slaughter of the unborn in this country is no worse than what these murderers did. Maybe secularism is not comparable with peace and tolerance.

SteeleRedux "Abbott, Morrison and Brandis" have nothing to do with it.
If anything, the switch to the Coalition is a effect, not a cause, of change in the community.

But will the Coalition slow or even briefly stop the "multi/global" train? ROFL!

The real change is not going to happen in Canberra.
Not until it's saturating the rest of society first.

The more "multi/global" Australians are exposed to, the more they'll realise that it offers them nothing.

Multi takes their neighbourhoods.
And Global takes their jobs.

Yes, plenty of "others" benefit from this.
But *we* don't.

Sooner or later any suggestion of "internationalism" in any form will get the same reaction as a month-old-corpse covered in vomit.

Dear Foxy,

Thank you for the link. This quote from an Australian was particularly potent;

‘… since the attack on the World Trade Centre in 2001, I have experienced various levels of prejudice against me, ranging from light racial remarks to high levels of verbal abuse. I am not the kind of person who will tolerate such behaviour … my responses have usually been at the level of the attack even though I am not a loud or violent person, but I feel that since the Australian law cannot protect me, then I must protect myself. I would like to mention that any physical assault will also be responded to physically.’

And this point was excellent;

“Howard’s government fears public imagination. Public imagination has been the greatest impediment to the last decade of migration and refugee policy. For years people were locked up in remote centres so we would not see or hear them. At the same time the government vilified and demonised refugees and asylum seekers in the hope that we would accept a dehumanised view and not try to imagine that they are just like us. By constructing the paradigm of the more deserving and less deserving refugee claim, the government strengthened and exploited an already burgeoning popular view of the more deserving and less deserving human being, defined by culture of origin.”

Spot on!

Dear SPQR,

You asked; “Clutching at straws Steele?”

Nope, popping balloons.

Dear o sung wu,

I'm afraid I am very much with the late Christopher Hitchens on this one. He posed the following challenges;

“Name one ethical statement made, or one ethical action performed, by a believer that could not have been uttered or done by a nonbeliever. The second challenge. Can anyone think of a wicked statement made, or an evil action performed, precisely because of religious faith? The second question is easy to answer, is it not? The first awaits a convincing reply.”

All religions have the capacity to move their followers to what the rest of us would consider evil deeds. When some religions manage to dress themselves in the respectability of government and uniformed armed forces it should not negate our ability to attach religious motivation to evil done under these guises.

The fact that religions create 'the other' is ultimately what drives the capacity for evil. The ability to regard other human beings as lesser enables violent action toward them to be deemed more acceptable. This is exactly what is occurring on this thread, posters are looking to highlight and hype difference, to portray people as lesser, to create the 'other'.

There may well be an argument to say I am picking the low hanging fruit, that it is easier to go after racists rather than fundamental religious types because it is deemed to be more socially acceptable. That may well have some validity however be assured I have serious issues with both groups as I regard them as peas in a pod.

I think a case can be made that Islam is no worse than Christianity or even Judaism for instance. But your proposition is rather that Islam is far more violent therefore incompatible with Christianity. I am happy to listen to why.

Steele,
The pic I saw was of three burka clad women, each holding a sign advocating beheading and one sign said BEHEAD THOSE WHO CLAIM ISLAM IS VIOLENT. It was in the smh or one of the UK papers, and was from the demo about the Danish cartoons. I concede it could have been photo shopped, but it was with a host of other pics portraying the demo which was a big deal at the time.

The point is that beheading is violent and here we have them advocating violence to those who say they are violent. Violence seems to be the first and only reaction by muslims to criticism and is so common they hardly notice it. Like the Sydney woman with her baby holding the beheading sign, she claimed she did not realise she was promoting violence.

As I said before, if muslims want to avoid criticism they should look at their own conduct. There are many incidents of violence and anti social behaviour by muslims. Violence, in Sydney, over the Syria civil war which resulted in burnt out shop for example. Then how many muslims are killed by other muslims in Syria.

Here is another example of muslim violence and in this case supported by the girls father. Multiculturalism in action.

http://m.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/sydney-husband-of-14yearold-who-was-raped-after-a-forced-marriage-looks-set-to-escape-punishment/story-fni0fee2-1226824054576

Hi there STEELEREDUX...

The Christian religion has it's own fair share of violence that it needs to carefully examine and confront before it points an accusatory finger at Islam ?

What I'm saying is, in Australia, there's absolutely no place for Islam to peacefully coexist with Australian Christianity ! It simply won't work. I accept you have a circle of Islamic friends that you're personally quite close too, and that's very good for you. It's like an individual (herpetologist) who chooses to handle venomous snakes. While he exercises all due care, and with careful attention, he'll not be bitten. A single event of inattention, could well cost him his life.

Similarly, an individual who raises and handles Lions in captivity, one lapse of concentration...well the end is most predictable ? Islam is very similar. Around these Islamic 'hotheads' one needs to tread carefully, as if walking on egg shells, otherwise should you upset them, all hell breaks loose.

Look at the recent events in Sydney's, Downing Centre Courts ? Fighting broke out in a wild melee in the body of the Court, with no respect shown to the Magistrate who witnessed the Muslim defendants fighting ! Twenty police were needed to quell the disturbance. Muslims respect nothing, in either our culture, our laws, our country, or our way of life STEELEREDUX !

Islam is totally ncompatible, with EVERYTHING we value, and love in this Nation of ours !