Suse,

"Is Mise, wouldn't you put your religion/God before your country?"

Unequivocally, No. I swore an oath to serve my country and I don't think that it is any less morally binding because I have long since been honourably discharged from any physical obligation.

As for the Rev. Fred; I've met him on occasions and had a few good yarns with him, I disagree with him on a lot of issues but I found him to be rather a nice person.
It is rather childish to base one's assessment of a person on TV perceptions.

' No Toni, I am from WA, but I have seen Fred Niles in action on TV...a nasty piece of work alright. '

yeah know Susie you regressives and feminist much prefer pollies with alley cat morals.

Here's a chuckle from Armchair Critic:

>>I'm not sure if Democracy and Islam are even compatible<<

One day you should get up out of your armchair and visit the outside world. Maybe your travels could take you to Indonesia, where democracy now flourishes in the largest Muslim population of any - over 200 million, 88% of the population and fully 13% of the world's Muslim community.

Or perhaps to Turkey, where 98% of the population is Muslim but whose constitution - like ours - guarantees religious freedom. They have been a democracy for 65 years.

The ignorance on display here is beyond belief sometimes.

Thanks, Pericles, I always enjoy a good laugh.

I'm sure that the people of West Papua would share your joke and there are plenty of Muslims in Turkey to whom Kemal Ataturk was/is an unspeakable traitor and who are trying their best to undo his historic work.

Not one of you seems to be aware of the fact, or doesn't care about the fact, of the laws of the swearing of the loyalty to the Queen, the Parliament, and the Australian people and their Constitution. How would Muslims fit in with those requirements? Or, how many Muslims would be prepared to adapt to those requirements. People like Husac is NSW were permitted to swear on the Koran (their is no restriction as to the religious book), and I suppose Ed takes his oath seriously. But, it makes him an apostate. How many Muslims in Australia are that brave?

The leftists and feminists are the 'useful idiots' who have cozied up to Islam for donkey's years with their deeply flawed, 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'.

Oh the irony for them of a political party for Muslims! -The hive will be buzzing furiously as they try to get the narrative right on this one.