Foxy,
Unfortunately all Muslims are potential terrorists.
The Koran teaches death to all infidels and that is anyone who is not an adherent to their religion.
Look what is happening in North iraq today.
"Change your religion to Islam or be executed"
Surely that is enough of an example.
Drive through Tempe in Sydney and see the women cowering in their doorways afraid to even talk to their neighbors while their husband sit around the coffee shops watching them.

I've lived in Australia now for 38 years. I still travel quite regularly, but with enough time lapse to be really confronted by changes from places I'm familiar with.

My background is the Netherlands. Both my parents and I were born and grew up largely in developing countries. Some of the citizens of these countries appear to be very frightening to some people on this thread.

Whether the term multi-culturalism is policy or discarded is really of no relevance. Since WWII the movement of peoples all over the world is a fact. To hold on to some kind of mythical 'values' or picture of a nation of all the 'same' people is just not going to happen. There cannot be an exchange of goods and ideas, of trade and no movement of peoples. The West has benefited too much from this. Both financially and culturally.

Culture has never been a static thing. The only difference in this last century is that changes have been happening must faster than they did in the past. Changes that really started with the Enlightenment.

The past was not better. Today is better. Australia is one of the most wonderful nations, because of the blending of diverse people with diverse views, diverse experiences. This has vastly enriched us.

Holding onto set beliefs about any people is buying into some kind of caricature, for which there is really no excuse anymore.

Paul,
The picture could be photo shopped but it may be worse than what has been depicted. I read that there is another pic of daddy holding up the same head. So is this daddy's decapitation that the boy is holding. Would not surprize me if the terrorists hold that cutting throats and severing heads is done to show their mates how manly they each are. Cannot beat a practical demonstration to educate the boy.

Since 9/11 there have been 23598 terrorist attacks in the name of Islam. Bodies unknown but if average is 4 that is about 100,000 dead. For July they killed 2500 and injured about the same in 28 countries.

So is far more than 'just a few' radicals.

In Aus we have 21 crims in jail for terrorist activities and they are all muslim. Is that not significant?

There is no doubt that Islam and violence go together.

Authorities are rightly concerned and we need to stop muslim immigration.

yvonne, "My background is the Netherlands"

Maybe your claimed authority is dated. Have you kept in contact with the newspapers at all? What do you say in reply to this recent report by an independent research institute? See here,

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4129/islamization-belgium-netherlands#

I wasn't commenting on Muslims, that wasn't my concern in this thread at all. However there should be some balance and it is proved that Australia has imported terrorist risks, along with a whole range of organised crime bosses, most recently the feared 'Odessa' (Russian) Mafia.

While the immigration department is in disarray, the federal government must take sure practical steps to reduce the risks. Apart from demanding a report from the public bureaucrats there doesn't appear to be much happening in that way at all. Yet even one terrorist or criminal can wreak havoc for a lifetime, and may never be caught.

Banjo, how about a link so we all can be enlightened by these "facts" of yours. 23598 where did you get that figure from?

yvonne,

"Holding onto set beliefs about any people is buying into some kind of caricature, for which there is really no excuse anymore."

Excuse: Koran.