Common Sense from a Polititian What Ever Next!!

[Andy Moorhouse]

I wish that our lot had the balls to make statements like this!


Prime Minister John Howard - Australia

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.

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.'

'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 God. 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 God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God 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.'

'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.'

Andy

[Tony Hunt]

Andy,
Put your Nomex on............
Tony

[Paul Brameld]

I know it's only a small matter , but he is the ex-prime minister, I believe.
Cheers

[Chris P.]

That type of thinking goes a bit too far. Speaking the language is one thing, putting religion in everyone's face is another. The idea that a country was founded by Christians doesn't mean that everyone who lives there needs to be Christian. A society structured so acutely and rigorously as that is no different than the Muslim countries that the immigrants came from. This is the very type of thing that helps to cause the attacks that were referenced. A nation not keeping things like religion open and accepting those who belong to another religion or none at all is no different than an immigrant not recognizing the local language and accepting it as well. This kind of thinking and language is only hateful and does nothing to help the situation.

[Dean Lampe]

I think he is right. I wish we had more leaders like that here in the USA. He didn't say you had to practice any religion. He didn't say you couldn't hold on to your culture and traditions. All he is saying (as I interprut) is that when you move to a counrty, it is you that needs to fit in. You must follow the laws of that country, not your own or religious law. I love my country so much that it frustrates me when people want to live in America and recieve all the benefits but really have no intention of embracing the traditional American culture. (that is another debate all by itself!)

[Pete]

Chris,

I think the point Howard is making is that Australia isn't about to be taken over by Sharia law. Whether anyone wants to believe it or not one of the tenets of Islam is to spread Islam wherever they migrate to. There is no question it's happening in the UK and other Europeon countries.

Pete

[Chris P.]

"Whether anyone wants to believe it or not one of the tenets of Islam is to spread Islam wherever they migrate to."

Hmmmmm... seems like Christianity does the same thing...

So you think that anyone who is not Christian should leave America? That IS what he said by the way with respect to Australia (at least the quote presented here.) That is not the freedom that the so called "christian" founding fathers had in mind. And by the way, all because the founding fathers were christian (and not all of them were), doesn't mean the society and everyone in it has to be. That is not what they intended, contrary to popular opinion.

Some interesting reading: Little-Known U.S. Document Proclaims America's Government is Secular - The Early America Review, Summer 1997

[Dean Lampe]

I have never seen a Christian church preach hate and a commitment to death to those that don't convert. I don't care if it is the Klu Klux Klan, the Black Panthers or the extreme Islamic groups, they should not be tolerated. Tolerance of the intolerant has lead to the downfall of cultures and countries.

Chris this is a country based on Christian principles. Whats wrong with that? Christians do spread their message where ever they go but they don't rape the women and children and behead the men who don't convert. Just a subtle difference.

[Gary Kadrmas]

Dean,

Thanks for the reminder!

Or,.....press one for English......................

[Mick]

This is my opinion shoot me down if you must. Seems to me that the problem is not with being Jewish Islamic Christain or any other faith but with religion in general. Most if not all conflict is about religion. It is disheartning to se what human beings do to each other in the name of there religion. You would have thought with our understanding of the world & universe we would have move past relying religion to teach morality and respect for each other. I believe unless we move past it we will never develop past a certain point. No one culture or race is any better that every one else. Take a look at history and you can see what happens. How dum are we.

My thoughts

Mick
The Humanist.

[Steve Kulper]

I think a lot of what John Howard was referring to was before xmas last year, there is a trend over here at xmas time to stop saying and displaying Merry Xmas. The new message is happy xmas so we don't offend non Christians, our main council of Sydney (Sydney city council) even elected one year not to put up any xmas decorations in fear of upsetting a minority of people. WFMD, I believe the minority enjoy the decorations just as much as the next person, people here now send out xmas cards saying happy xmas or even just season greetings.
I am not religious so it doesn't bother me one way or another, just annoying that someone in a position of power makes decisions without consultation of the people it affects the most.
I had a situation last night at the filming of a family TV show that I took my daughter to, there was a rather large group of people directly behind me, they were swearing, trash talking the whole time loudly and every time the studio camera panned our way one or two of these yobbo's would give the one fingered salute to the camera. In there group was the mother of the yobbo, the yobbo was about 20-23 years of age and he also had a sibling there that was about 9 years old. The mother not once pulled him into line, I think she thought he was funny.

I was not going to say anything until my daughter complained to me about all the swearing and general loud calling out, so I turned around to the main offender and politely asked him to refrain from swearing around the small children. He said sorry, then his mother went off and so did all the rest, she started saying who was swearing, what you talking about are you a racist? Then the security came and asked them to leave, the security guy was on his way to remove them anyway. They were reviewing footage and had seen what the yobbo was doing and were about to remove him anyway. They all left quietly, they didn't have too they could have stayed all they had to do was behave like the rest of society.
Fitting in isn't hard it's a mindset, unfortunately this groups mindset was being infected with some sort of crap and rubbish that you can behave how ever you like without regard for others. This is a common theme with certain groups here at sporting events and the like. I just wish they could learn some common decency as it's got nothing to do with religion or race.

Steve

[Pete]

Never said anyone who isn't Christian should leave. True Christianity wants to spread the gospel, the difference is Christianity does tolerate other religions. This country was founded on Christian principles. I don't see anything wrong with maintaining some level of those principles otherwise you would have anarchy not unlike the examples in a lot of Muslim countries. This country never has nor will be run by a theocracy like a lot of Muslim countries. It's not hard to see the difference in the two societies when it comes to the way people are treated. I much prefer our country. like Howard I would rather not see it change to the alternative.

[Cliff Beer]

Andy,

Thanks. I couldn't have said it better (than John Howard).

[srf#42]

Google westboro baptist church, then talk to me about christians.

Oh, they're a kooky fringe group, you say? So that would mean there are different kinds of christians, then. Some good , some bad.

Hmmm....I wonder who should decide what is allowed christianity and disallowed christianity. Who can stay, who can go...

Maybe the government could decide....or maybe just the good people could band together and drive out the bad people, or put them in camps or something.

Good thing all muslims are exactly alike and interpret the Koran in exactly the same way, so we don't have these dilemmas when we think about them. We know they are all terrorists and murderers.

[Dean Lampe]

Why don't you google Frickin September 11th!!!

There are always those in the minority that think we should all just get along. Wake up! The world is a dangerous place and that is largely because of fanatics. Today that seems to be largely Islamic extremest. I will not adopt a policy of tolerance when it comes to terrorist! You are with them or against them, there is no other place to stand.

If you come into my house and sit in my faimly room with your friends and proceed to tell me to change the way I run the family or you have to kill me based on your religious law, I am going to through you out! Why is that wrong? Our should I say "great, let me pay for your health care and educate you families all in your native language at my expence. I understand that you want to kill me but stay anyway its a free country. That is your right. After all my family has built this house over the last 200 years and we just pay for the house and everything in it, but I don't want to infringe on your rights so do what you want."

[Iron Sheik]

Organized Religion = Organized Crime (flushed at once)

Religious Leader = Head of the Organized Family

Local Pastors/Mullahs/Rabi = Capos

NOW my favorite!!

Religious extremist = 100% unadulterated excrement (double flush, due to explosive gas present

Intelligent Design was right; we did not evolved from monkeys.

IMHO, Monkeys evolved from humans ,,,,We are humanoids. Only humanoids spend $$$$$$ on CARS, BLINGS and spend good portion of their lives “BSing” on Forums.

I am going out right now and taking My R1 for ride. No, not My GT40 KIT CAR,,,it is too slow compared to the R1

[emiel]

Well Howard is a brave man .Congratulations.For many moslims the western society isn't good??? So why are they here !!! I never go to a moslim country I know for sure,ask me why !!!Emiel

[Cliff Beer]

Perhaps we can learn something by turning the circumstances around: I know that when I'm in a foreign location I have no expectation that they need to speak my language, accommodate my religeon or pay for my social services. I know I'm not in the USA and that I AM THE ONE WHO SHOULD CONFORM and not burden the lives and economics of those kind enough to let me stay in their country for my own cultural enlightenment or exploitation of business opportunity. I see no compelling reason why it should be different for visitors and immigrants of the USA.

I think we Americans forget too easily that the freedoms and economics opportunities we enjoy were hard won and are expensive to maintain. We should be careful about how far we extend these benefits to those who may not appreciate that, and, aren't contributing to the costs (taxes and similar) to maintain. Many European countries are highly protective of their borders and immigration laws for these same reasons and the US policy should be the same. This is only my opinion and I'm completely tolerant of others who have an equal right to a totally different opinion.

[Pete.]

Not only did John Howard have a dip at Muslims who wanted Sharia law to prev