The Aussies Don't Mess About

[peter026]

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.

A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia and her Queen at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his Ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown. Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state, and its laws were made by parliament. "If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you", he said on National Television.

"I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia: one the Australian law and another Islamic law that is false. If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity to go to another country, which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a better option", Costello said.

Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the other country. Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that Muslims who did not want to accept local values should "clear off. Basically people who don't want to be Australians, and who don't want, to live by Australian values and understand them, well then, they can basically clear off", he said.

Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques.

Quote: "IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians."

"However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the 'politically correct' crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Australia." "However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand." "This idea of Australia being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. And as Australians, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle."

"This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom"

"We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society. Learn the language!"

"Most Australians believe in ***. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If *** offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because *** is part of our culture."

"We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us."

"If the Southern Cross offends you, or you don't like "A Fair Go", then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. By all means, keep your culture, but do not force it on others.

"This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom,

'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'."

"If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted."

Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, citizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths!

If you agree please SEND THIS TO EVERYBODY YOU KNOW

[saracen]

*Sigh* This kind of dialogue only seeks to increase hatred against Muslims and further alienate those Muslims already in Australia. Perhaps, as an elected member of Parliament whose duty is to serve all members of the community, Brendan Nelsons time might be better served by engaging with the Muslim community rather than sending out what is quite clearly a message of hate.

And for the record I'm not a Muslim. Neither am I pro- or anti-Islam. I just feel that this type of sentiment does nobody any favours.

[oldcro]

I'm certainly not a racist, but I do agree wholeheartedly with that message. But before we get carried away, it's worth remembering that we tried to change half the countries of the world to our way of doing things. Mainly during the Victorian era.

[Monster-Mat]

totally agree with the meat of the message, you can remove the word muslim and add, "anyone" in its place.....

change the word, australian or australia, to "British or Britian"

and it fits the growing sentiment in this country aswell...............

[Ryo]

I agree with it aswell, sorry to say 100% , but as it says , either change or bugger off :)

"If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted."

perfectly put i think

[oldcro]

This is the sentence that says it all for me.

"We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us."

If only...

[aido]

I thought this was quite a few years old?

Actually yeah looks like the context has been changed slightly - you can see the original stuff from a couple of years back here:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/australia.asp

[Adie]

I also agree with most if not all of that speech / statement. Also that alot of the people that moan about the country are on state benefits too, with housing etc..

[sorted vti]

here here!!! i agree with it too!!!

[Rsarin]

Ive read this before,almost 2 years ago,its a bit old but understand this topic is up for discussion at most homes in the uk at the moment.It seems people forget that there are more muslims living in the uk that understand and accept the British way of life than muslims who expect sharia law to be practised,but some beleive it to be the other way around.BTW im not a muslim and am not pro/against the religion,i just feel this type of discussion can upset people,especially the majority of muslims that work hard,benefit their community and essentially want a peaceful life in the uk.I agree radicals preaching hate against this country should be kicked out immediately but think a little sensitivity should be applied when discussing such topics in public.I personally dont beleive immigrants of any social stature need to adapt to become either British or Australian when living in either country,i look at it like this,why should an average family,after the British and American forces bombed their house,place of work and town in which they live in Iraq,all of a sudden adopt a British attitude when having to seek asylum there,theyve just had their house bombed and been shifted to another country that they dont want to be in,but have to cos otherwise theyd be 6 ft under,so now they are in the country and all of a sudden they get told to eat bacon sarnies and sing the national anthem otherwise they will be on a plane back to the bombs.Why not just shoot the bloke and his family,it would probably be less painful for them.People have their own cultures and attitudes,they shouldnt have to give those up just to make British people comfortable,as long as they mean no harm to their community in general then whats the problem?Must say also i think the media are fairly irresponsible these days,they seem to sensatoinalize everything to do with this very topic.

[tdiplc]

There's far too much common sense being spoken here to be accepted by the populace. It's not a "Muslim" issue - it's to do with any organisation that seeks to impose their will.

Unfortunately humans appear to be hard wired to be dependant upon circular belief systems which breed blinkered refusal of facts and logic. This happens every day in the realms of all subjects from religion to topics on LOC

Personally speaking I look forward to a time in the future when religion of all kinds is laughed at the in the same way that we ridicule the notion of a flat earth today. The only way forward for our children and the future of our planet is to educate the young into realising that religion is bad and that we all live in the same small place called Earth.

[DINO]

There's far too much common sense being spoken here to be accepted by the populace. It's not a "Muslim" issue - it's to do with any organisation that seeks to impose their will.

Unfortunately humans appear to be hard wired to be dependant upon circular belief systems which breed blinkered refusal of facts and logic. This happens every day in the realms of all subjects from religion to topics on LOC

Personally speaking I look forward to a time in the future when religion of all kinds is laughed at the in the same way that we ridicule the notion of a flat earth today. The only way forward for our children and the future of our planet is to educate the young into realising that religion is bad and that we all live in the same small place called Earth.

Nicley put, unfortunatley, that day will be when we can live in outerspace and commute to earth, to work. If only I could live long enough to see all this, including teleporting.

[DJ Wozza]

Well said Matt + oldcro

I'm just fed up with being critisized everytime I wanna fly either

a Union jack or St. George cross for being a Racist.

Its my nations flag dammit. I'm not a thug nor a Racist, & I

would never complain when in another persons country, or

a country I had emmigrated to about them flying their

National Flag. I saw this speech in an email about 2 years ago.

I believe in Freedom of Speech + Freedom of Religion,

so long as it doesn't promote HATRED or Violence to others.

To quote jack Nicholson in Mars Attacks

"Why can't we ALL just get along ?"

For me, integration and tolerance is really about the statement below.

"We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us."

[Ryo]

"I'm just fed up with being critisized everytime I wanna fly either

a Union jack or St. George cross for being a Racist."

I remember when it was world cup time, and loads of places banned people from having flags up as it offended people from other ethnic origins, (Leeds and Bradford for instance) Who ever they are and where ever they came from (i know this as i got told to take my flag down as it offended people

WHOO ????

[Rikos]

I havent got a problem with people in Britain who want to make a life for themselves and who work along side everyone esle. The only thing that annoys me more than any other is that British people cant be so british in britain in case it offends someone ... how is that right!!

I dont agree with generalisation as in saying muslims should learn to adapt but people should accept if they move to another country that they will have expect that there culture isnt going to be the main one! This is not to say they cant believe in what they want to just to understand the backbone of the country in the first place.

For example i was watching the news not long ago and there was a young lad who was foreign but living in this country and classed themself as british and on the news they where speaking about the royal family and he just said who cares about the royal family they are stupid and mean nothing! Now i dont think the royal family do a great deal but that is british culture!!!!!!

I dont agree with racism and hate that one culture, race or religion is generalised as a problem but i also believe that is Britain the amount of racism towards citizens of the country has increased over the last few years.

I hope that my comments havent offended anyone or upset anyway at all this is not my intention.

[kam05]

Well, as an asian (hate that term, I prefer to use the term Indian or Sikh), here's my take.....

As someone who is UK born and bread, England is my home. I haven't forgotten my culture, as my parents have taught me where they are from and so on, and I live the 'british way of life', to a certain extent. I wouldn't force my beliefs, whether they religous, cultural or political upon anyone and I wouldn't like the same to happen to me.

I think many asians/non-brits fear the Union Jack/St George's cross for two main reasons. Firstly, because of the British Empire or 'Raj'. Many people suffered under the British Empire, as many asians believe that the British carried out a divide and rule policy, and the British at that time ruled with the gun. However, many asians had the opportunity to educate themseleves under the British Empire, I have read that many doctors came from the Indian sub-continent during the 1950's and 60's to fulfill these posts in the UK and also to support the newly estabilshed NHS. Secondly, many asians/non-brits fear the Union Jack/St George's cross because of its association with the far rights groups, such as NF. I for one have nothing against the St George's cross and have displayed it during the last world cup.

All I know is that we should all learn to live with each other peacefully, as echoed in previous posts.

Cheers.

[DJ Wozza]

Well said

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

Well, as an asian (hate that term, I prefer to use the term Indian or Sikh), here's my take.....

As someone who is UK born and bread, England is my home. I haven't forgotten my culture, as my parents have taught me where they are from and so on, and I live the 'british way of life', to a certain extent. I wouldn't force my beliefs, whether they religous, cultural or political upon anyone and I wouldn't like the same to happen to me.

I think many asians/non-brits fear the Union Jack for two main reasons. Firstly, because of the British Empire or 'Raj'. Many people suffered under the British Empire, as many asians believe that the British carried out a divide and rule policy. However, many asians had the opportunity to educate themseleves under the British Empire, I have read that many doctors came from the Indian sub-continent during the 1950's and 60's to fulfill these posts in the UK and also to support the newly estabilshed NHS. Secondly, many asians/non-brits fear the Union Jack because of its association with the far rights groups, such as NF. I for one have nothing against the Union Jack and have displayed it during the last world cup.

All I know is that we should all learn to live with each other peacefully, as echoed in previous posts.

Cheers.

I was born in Uganda, came here in 1970 and have never been to my native India at all yet...I'm not muslim, and regard myself as a British Asian (words in that order, but like Kam05, I prefer British Indian). I grew up with lots of Muslim friends at school who actually came from Malawi, Uganda and Kenya who would be so hurt by that Aussie message, and they are successful business men now (or employed), adding so much value, providing employment and paying taxes. Whilst they live by their religion, they also live by UK's laws. Most have the beard, and often wear traditional dress too.

Forwarding messages like that can only increase tensions, so you need to think carefully about broadcasting...and we all know how much crap there is on the internet and on email chains...

The problems we see are (I believe) still conducted by the minority, and unless the Aussie government have evidence to suggest that their way of life is under threat (and even then it is a democracy), it is total over reaction, which can only fuel that minority to mis behave!!

Having been to some Middle eastern countries, I can say that it's not as bad there as you see on the telly. Take the UAE - you'd actually think you were in the 'states driving down 6 lanes of Sheikh Zayed Road in an American car with some fantastic buildings either side...with men and women wearing beach wear on the beaches and so many Brits and Yanks that English is now becoming the main language...that might be a one off example, but it just goes to show...and it's one of the safest places on the planet!!

So whilst I do feel it for any nation suffering a terrorist attrocity, over reaction can only make things worse for everyone. Especially the law abiding people, regardless of ethnicity...

It's possibly foreign policies that need to be reviewed rather than immigration persay...

[Sagitar]

Whilst they live by their religion, they also live by UK's laws.

I agree that we need care and balance, but I also think that it helps to be clear where we stand on matters of law. I know it is just a nuance, but I would feel more comfortable if you had put the law first and their religion second.

If a conflict arises between the laws enacted by Parliament and the requirements of a religion, there should not be any doubt about which has primacy. All that the Aussies are saying is that you cannot be an Australian citizen if you do not accept the primacy of the law of the land.

Having been to some Middle eastern countries, I can say that it's not as bad there as you see on the telly. Take the UAE - you'd actually think you were in the 'states driving down 6 lanes of Sheikh Zayed Road in an American car with some fantastic buildings either side...with men and women wearing beach wear on the beaches and so many Brits and Yanks that English is now becoming the main language...that might be a one off example, but it just goes to show...and it's one of the safest places on the planet!!

I worked in Abu Dhabi for a short time. I have Emiratee friends there and I have eaten in their homes. I agree that on the surface it is a relaxed and tolerant place, but there are still many. many traditional homes where the separation of men and women is absolute and where, if you go for a meal, you will never see a woman, even though they do all the preparation of the food and all the clearing away afterwards. The UAE is skillful at recognising what compromises it has to operate to make a living. It has a very small native population (somewhere between 10 and 15 percent of the total) and a large immigrant population, mainly from the Indian continent and the far east, but including ex-patriat Brits and Yanks, doing a lot of the work, but it has a very firm Emiratisation policy that keeps control firmly in the hands of the ruling families.

If you had chosen Saudi Arabia as your example, the story would be very different. I have an elderly female friend who was locked up for two days by the religious police for carrying a box of Meltis Newberry Fruits into customs. They refused to believe that the liquid centres in the sweets were non-alcoholic and it took intervention from the UK Embassy to get her out.

Have a look at the application of Shari'a law there and tell me whether we should in any way be tolerant of its importation into the UK?

You may say that the Aussies are unsubtle and over-blunt and I would probably agree with that, but by the same token, I think that we are probably insufficiently clear about the need for those who aspire to live in Britain to accept the need to abide by our law and respect the basis of that law and our traditions. And less there is any doubt about what I mean by our traditions, I mean democracy, freedom of speech and religion, and the rights of the individual.