"Telling people "This is MY continent and I will prevent you from coming here unless you comply with MY laws", is a form of extortion and not a legitimate moral practice."

Are you serious Yuyutsu?

All over the world the countries have rules/laws for the citizens to abide by. They also have laws about entering the country on a visitor and/or resident basis. Its the way the world is!

You can't, just because you personally don't think that's the way it should be, make such ridiculous statements without looking like a complete fool.

Perhaps you are from another planet where peace and love govern all the residents, there is no crime or corruption and the inhabitants move feely wherever they choose, and they are accepted with open arms wherever they land. No politicians, no need for rules or laws, everyone is good. I think they call it La La Land.

Where Fox is wrong is in always wallpapering over deficiencies in immigration and multiculturalism policies and administration.

Also in labelling any critic, no matter how public-spirited (and often right in his/her allegations) as a 'xenophobe', 'racist' and other slurs. One would have imagined that Julia Gillard's admonishment of such soldiers of political correctness would have have some effect, but no.

It should be obvious for example that the screening of migrants has been deficient, especially where large numbers are involved. Also through the deliberate intervention of governments to reduce scrutiny and accountability for failed policies, and sometimes as a result of favouritism and fraud.

Where both sides of government treat migrants and multiculturalism as sacred cows, pouring millions of taxpayers' dollars annually into promotion campaigns (that are so routinely flattering and dismissive of alternative opinion as to make even a tobacco advertiser blush), supporting lobbyists for both and giving them direct access to ministers, the public is right to wonder if undisclosed secondary agendas are driving the political parties.

There is no doubt at all that sometimes the ethnic tail is swinging the Party Government* dog and the best interests of the Australian public are not being served.

*That is the reality, Party Government, NOT representative government.

As for Australia's 'strong laws' preventing, controlling or even deterring the persistence and growth of introduced toxic political systems, values, traditions and cultures, the answer to that is "Fat chance!", particularly where political parties exist (as they do) and they want to shore up their support and cover their behinds.

Over years, governments denied the introduction of criminal gangs such as the Mafia and the involvement of the political parties themselves,

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/monuments-to-honesty-and-deceit-20090215-881s.html

http://www.smh.com.au/national/immigration-bungle-leaves-convicted-mafioso-in-community-20140523-38ufr.html

What about the 'strong policing' that cannot prevent the sexual molestation of indigenous girls? Whistleblowers shocked by the incidence of sexual disease and harm in Indigenous minors have had little effect in changing the situation. Should multicultural imperatives be allowed to trump Australian law where Indigenous children are concerned?

Hi OTB,

I'll stick by what I wrote: "We all have to get along within a single legal framework which must be strengthened to protect the rights of the more vulnerable, particularly women and girls. Those rights MUST trump culture every time."

I'm not sure that there is any such thing as 'cultural rights' except those which accord with Australia's legal framework and the protection of the rights of the vulnerable, especially women and girls - which are, subtly and indirectly, usually the subject of any attempt to distort or pervert that legal framework.

And the struggle to maintain those equal rights before the law has to go on also within the Indigenous population: I don't believe that the 'old men' should have any special rights over young girls, or that the rights of children should be subordinate to those of older people. In the homes of many remote communities, children are incredibly vulnerable - that's most of the reason why gangs of kids can be found on the streets at one in the morning rather than at home with 'uncle'.

In a sense, the rights and fortunes of young Indigenous people in remote communities is a touchstone of how well the Australian system protects its weakest members. And on that score, it isn't doing too well, and on that score too, the Intervention was only a half-hearted measure.

Joe

It quite interesting really how the subject of Islam has become so topical in the last few years or so ? I guess it's a result of the attack on the Twin Towers 9/11, that has shown the spotlight on the religion, more so than ever in the recent past ?

Everything associated with Islam has been analysed, examined and revealed, sadly it's only the worst elements of the religion that are exposed, such as the topic we now have before us, 'Child Marriage' ? The question I've asked several times now, is there anything in the Islamic religion that's compatible with - initially the Christian faith, and secondly the Australian way of life, our culture ?

The correct answer to the first question; of course there is, many things are compatible between the two religions. If so why is there so much argument between the two, and over what precisely ? I'm certainly no scholar (you all know that), to me at least, many of the Islamic practices we continually witness, seem to emerge from the middle ages, like the strict adherence to Sharia law, an almost medieval practice in my opinion ?

However to the topic itself, it was FOXY who drew attention to several historic references on 'child marriages' from one of her threads ? She quoted various dates; 1396, 1476 even as recently as 1919 to a 14 year old girl ?

Ok I accept, that's what the convention may've been in those less enlightened days, but surely in 2015 we've advanced somewhat ? For instance we no longer engage in capital punishment, place citizens in the 'stocks' burn suspected Witch's, in other words, we've (allegedly) 'gulp'...progressed ?

It's for this reason, I believe that many of the conventions, traditions, even practices which have been pursued by Muslims, are NOT compatible with either the Australian culture, or our unique Aussie way of life ! Moreover, there is very little that 'appears' reconcilable with the essential elements of the Christian faith, the mainstream religion, that is practiced here in Australia !

Dear Hippie,

The pervasiveness of an evil does not make it right. Further, while others do it too, only few states impose themselves over such a large area as Australia, blocking a whole continent.

Of course there is crime and corruption - but that does not entitle you to become a criminal bully yourself, or else how can you expect others to be peaceful and good?

Laws and the legal system are one of society's internal mechanisms and are inappropriate for dealing with those outside that society. We do not for example charge kangaroos and bring them to court for breaking and trespassing into a property and eating their cabbages - that is because they are not part of our society.

Now this does not mean that society cannot defend itself: self-defence is a legitimate pursuit. When feral animals turn to be a pest, we use a variety of measures against them: we erect fences, use dogs to scare them away, de-sex them and if necessary also spread poison or shoot them, but the one thing we never do (though allegedly it was practised in the middle-ages) is to blame them for breaking our laws then take them to court.

Similar principles should apply to humans who do not agree to belong to our society - in the least, such humans should not be treated worse than animals. Should such people become a pest and threaten our peace or even just our property, then surely we should take the necessary measures, which could include expelling or even killing them - but what they do among themselves without hurting members of our society, should be none of our business. One can hardly think of a worse crime than of male lions for example, which when taking over a group of females, kill their cubs of different fathers, yet we don't even contemplate taking them to court for murder - nor should we in the case of Muslims who arrive on Australia's shores with no intention of becoming part of Australian society.

Banjo>>One wonders when the government will take a realistic stance and stop further muslim immigration.<<

Never Banjo, never. The UN is the tool the global social engineers have used to divide all western nations, and we have all signed the conventions. They have worked out not just how to divide a country, but how to divide a civilisation. I look at all Muslims on an ideological basis. Regardless of the Muslims race or westernization they are fifth column and I am opposed to their belief system and culture.

A friend just came back from two decades of living in London, I asked her what she loves most about Australia....she replied flatly,“not having the bloody call to prayer booming into her flat every single day of the year from the two mosques in the area.”................not yet I informed her.