The weekend talkfest in Canberra designed to smooth over Muslim and non-Muslim differences is now history. The gathering was meant, in part, to help Muslims integrate better into Australian society, and help non-Muslims more readily welcome them, by getting to know them better.
Whether the get-together will achieve such purposes remains to be seen. But certainly in most cases jaw-jaw is better than war-war, and talk always has its place. Genuine discussion to sort out differences, clarify positions, and overcome improper stereotypes is usually a good thing. However I am not gullible enough to believe that a gathering such as this will solve all our problems, or reduce the risk of Islamic terrorism.
As I have said before, perhaps a majority of the 300,000 Muslims living in Australia are peace-loving folk who are opposed to suicide bombings and militant jihad. But a minority of them clearly are not, and that is the worry.
Pretending that this minority does not exist is not going to help the situation. Thus it was timely that English writer Melanie Phillips was on a speaking tour of Australia recently. I have already reviewed on this site her outstanding warning to the West, Londonistan.
In a March 2, 2007 column in the Australian she repeats some of the concerns she raised in her 2006 book. She too distinguishes between the peaceful majority of Muslims and those who want to overthrow the West and install sharia law.
These radicals are known as Islamists, and they are not to be ignored nor underestimated. While most Muslims practice Islam for its spiritual sustenance, the Islamists are a very serious threat: “it is false to deny that Islamism is the dominant force in the Muslim and Arab world, false to deny that it is radicalising millions of Muslims in the West, and false to deny the huge inroads it has made into Western society through this pincer movement of terrorism and cultural pressure.”
And unfortunately many Muslims living in the West seem sympathetic at least to the goals of the Islamists. “For instance, opinion polls suggest that 40 per cent to 60 per cent of British Muslims would like to live under sharia law in Britain; almost one-quarter say the 7/7 bombings in London can be justified because of the war on terror; and nearly half think 9/11 was a conspiracy between the US and Israel. Why is Britain getting all this so grievously wrong? Briefly, it’s because for decades its intelligentsia and political class have hollowed out British identity and values, creating a vacuum that is being exploited by radical Islamism. Britain has not only lost belief in itself as a nation but European liberals have turned against the very idea of the nation itself.”
The reasons for this are many, including a muddled understanding of multiculturalism. “Britain’s own culture has had to give way to multiculturalism. And this is the core of the muddle that is paralysing us. Because many people think multiculturalism is all about showing respect and tolerance to other cultures and faiths. Well, we should all support respect and tolerance. But that’s not what multiculturalism is at all. The doctrine of multiculturalism holds that all minority values must have equal status to those of the majority. Any attempt to uphold majority values over minorities is a form of prejudice. That turns minorities into a cultural battering ram to destroy the very idea of majority culture at all.”
She continues, “A liberal, tolerant society – which is what Britain once was – welcomes and respects minorities. But the deal since the Enlightenment invented tolerance has been that, while the state makes no demands on minorities practising their faith and culture in the private sphere, minorities make no demands that the state adopt their own practices. Minorities do their own thing, but where their values conflict with the bedrock values of majority culture – freedom of speech, monogamy, women’s rights – they must give way.”
“Many Muslims do not accept this. And multiculturalism gives them the muscle to insist that their practices must become mainstream. That’s why in Britain we have areas under the informal parallel jurisdiction of sharia law and growing pressure for it to become incorporated into mainstream British society. But precepts such as polygamy, the subordination of women or the death penalty for apostates or gays are totally inimical to Western society.”
Phillips concludes, “It is only if we act against the ideology that is spreading falsehood and hatred, and stop its advance under the umbrella of minority rights, that we have any chance of defending the free world. That means – while showing respect to Muslims who derive only spiritual sustenance from their faith – reasserting Western values and resisting any attempt to subvert them. It also means facing down in public the lies spread about the West. Only if we stop deluding ourselves and take such action necessary for our survival will we stop sleepwalking to defeat.”
Appeasing the Islamists is a recipe for disaster. They do not want a negotiated settlement. They want total victory. And victory for them is the overthrow of the West, the destruction of the state of Israel, and the imposition of a global caliphate administering sharia law. Their hatred of Israel and the US in particular will not be lessened by ignoring their existence or pretending they have legitimate grievances.
Terrorists will not be placated or bought off. They must be opposed. It is as simple as that.
I, along with many others, hope that the weekend summit will have achieved some good. But if it ignores the fact that a holy war has been declared against the West, then its usefulness will be very limited indeed.
One has to differentiate between people and ideology.
Tas Walker
Islam is as much a political religion as a spiritual one. The discussion the West must initiate is to convince Islamic leaders to abandon Islamic imperialism and assimilate into the culture where they live. The average Muslim may be peaceful, but it is the leaders who get things done. A simple reading of Islamic history shows that given political and military power they seek to conquer and control others. That has not changed to this day. Can Islam be reformed to give up the ideal of world domination? That is the question of the century!
Jon Sellers
I appreciate the fact that there are peaceful and compassionate Muslims. Howvever as you stated we must oppose the extremists and not take this topic lying down. There may be a majority of Muslims that want peace here in Australia, but unfortunately there are those that would love nothing more than to oppose our ways of freedom, and these people simply can’t be ignored.
Fivos Panayiotou
I believe any person , group or nation that kills plans to kill or allows or supports those who by their own choice kill the innocent (someone they cannot point to as a killer) forfeit their own right to life. Any attempt at appeasement or compromise is nothing more than a slow, agonizing surrender to evil. Any compromise with terrorism is excusing it and thus allowing it to prevail over all humanity.
How can any sane, rational person believe you can convince someone whose entire reason and purpose in life is to get to heaven by killing you, not to kill you.
They should be destroyed just as a rabid animal is destroyed and with no more thought or remorse.
Michael Sheehan
Jon Sellers appears to have identified a key – the leadership of Islam. Can anyone confirm a story out of Nigeria where female Muslim students murdered a Christian teacher who accidently dropped a student bag containing a copy of the Koran? If true, then who teaches the young such behaviour? Surely parents and Imams. “Peaceful” musllims will always obey the Koranic teachers.
Ray Robinson
I have worked with two ” moderate ” Muslims in Sydney , one a very highly placed surgeon in a leading hospital the other a educated school teacher from the ruling elite in Afghanistan, both after being in Australia for over 30 years, want Sharia law in Australia !, both have no allegiance to Australia, after me saying I do not support sharia law in Australia in ANY form , I was called a racist , when I remarked that Islam is not a race, they were non plussed and stumped for a reply, remember these are very well educated literate people who can speak Urdu, Pashtun and Arabic, but they do not think like westerners do ,[ or ever will ] I may also add they both support stoning and killing of homosexuals , so the so called moderates who live happily in western countries may not openly support their radical brethren , but I can 100 percent assure you one cannot trust ANY muslim because the one question remains, how do you KNOW when you have a genuine moderate Muslim standing in front of you ? the eyes ?, the dress ?the smile ? their kindess to small children and animals ? their faerwell gift to your office party ? serving in a western military ? how ????, are they all bad evil people?, not at all, they are all living a delusion and a lie though , sure they have the right to practice their belief , so do I , so who will watch the 2 percent of Muslim radicals in Australia ? remember thats 15,000 flag waving chop your head off radicals, there are not enough police resources in all of Australia to do that. the pew centre findings indicate that is the MINIMUM number worldwide 2 percent , but that is just a guess, no one knows the true number of those who would happily chop your head off.
food for thought.
One has to differentiate between people and ideology.
Tas Walker
Islam is as much a political religion as a spiritual one. The discussion the West must initiate is to convince Islamic leaders to abandon Islamic imperialism and assimilate into the culture where they live. The average Muslim may be peaceful, but it is the leaders who get things done. A simple reading of Islamic history shows that given political and military power they seek to conquer and control others. That has not changed to this day. Can Islam be reformed to give up the ideal of world domination? That is the question of the century!
Jon Sellers
I appreciate the fact that there are peaceful and compassionate Muslims. Howvever as you stated we must oppose the extremists and not take this topic lying down. There may be a majority of Muslims that want peace here in Australia, but unfortunately there are those that would love nothing more than to oppose our ways of freedom, and these people simply can’t be ignored.
Fivos Panayiotou
I believe any person , group or nation that kills plans to kill or allows or supports those who by their own choice kill the innocent (someone they cannot point to as a killer) forfeit their own right to life. Any attempt at appeasement or compromise is nothing more than a slow, agonizing surrender to evil. Any compromise with terrorism is excusing it and thus allowing it to prevail over all humanity.
How can any sane, rational person believe you can convince someone whose entire reason and purpose in life is to get to heaven by killing you, not to kill you.
They should be destroyed just as a rabid animal is destroyed and with no more thought or remorse.
Michael Sheehan
Jon Sellers appears to have identified a key – the leadership of Islam. Can anyone confirm a story out of Nigeria where female Muslim students murdered a Christian teacher who accidently dropped a student bag containing a copy of the Koran? If true, then who teaches the young such behaviour? Surely parents and Imams. “Peaceful” musllims will always obey the Koranic teachers.
Ray Robinson
I have worked with two ” moderate ” Muslims in Sydney , one a very highly placed surgeon in a leading hospital the other a educated school teacher from the ruling elite in Afghanistan, both after being in Australia for over 30 years, want Sharia law in Australia !, both have no allegiance to Australia, after me saying I do not support sharia law in Australia in ANY form , I was called a racist , when I remarked that Islam is not a race, they were non plussed and stumped for a reply, remember these are very well educated literate people who can speak Urdu, Pashtun and Arabic, but they do not think like westerners do ,[ or ever will ] I may also add they both support stoning and killing of homosexuals , so the so called moderates who live happily in western countries may not openly support their radical brethren , but I can 100 percent assure you one cannot trust ANY muslim because the one question remains, how do you KNOW when you have a genuine moderate Muslim standing in front of you ? the eyes ?, the dress ?the smile ? their kindess to small children and animals ? their faerwell gift to your office party ? serving in a western military ? how ????, are they all bad evil people?, not at all, they are all living a delusion and a lie though , sure they have the right to practice their belief , so do I , so who will watch the 2 percent of Muslim radicals in Australia ? remember thats 15,000 flag waving chop your head off radicals, there are not enough police resources in all of Australia to do that. the pew centre findings indicate that is the MINIMUM number worldwide 2 percent , but that is just a guess, no one knows the true number of those who would happily chop your head off.
food for thought.
blessings Chris