- Start now to help change and adapt Islam to Australian society instead of the other way around.
- Be intolerant to piece meal introduction of any rules or laws even local government by-laws which may breach the Constitutional prohibition against laws imposing any religious observance.
- Speak out against violence which is calculated to make us comply with Sharia demands.
- Make violence useless to Radical Shariaists.
- Fight against them achieving their objectives by violence
- Not accept blame – The remedy for “going too far” is a criminal charge of offensive behaviour. Not murder.
- Do what we always do. Eat Pork, Drink Beer, Speak as we wish. Do not over react.
- Encourage ourselves and our media not to self censor.
- Celebrate our own culture as we see it – and we can be strong about it without over-reacting.
- Not blame Australians who peacefully just want to be Muslims. Calm Down. They do not bear collective responsibility for Islamic Violence.
In 2013 there was an Inquiry into Migration and Multiculturalism in Australia by the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Migration, Report March 2013. It is 200 pages long. Whole parts of it address or refer to Islam.
The first few hundred words of this paper are largely extracts (in italics) from the report. These are followed by a commentary.
Even before Martins Place and Charlie Hedbo, The effectiveness of multicultural policy has been called into question in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 2001, and events in Europe and Bali. The Committee has, as a consequence, received a large number of submissions focussing on what is perceived as a direct threat to Australian values by migration from Islamic countries. ...
Even before Martins Place, There were proposals that Islamic refugees be settled in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Emirate countries rather than expose Australia to Islamic radicalisation.
It was said that Australia’s anti-racism framework was seen as inhibiting legitimate debate about these matters. legitimate debate of these matters has become socially unacceptable and, at worst, potentially actionable under the race or religious vilification laws. ...’Complain about proponents and practitioners of Islam and be branded a racist low-life. You will be dismissed from the debate! You have not shown respect!’
Contrasting incidents were reported. ... equally racialised speech made against Anglo-Australians would now be tolerated. at a recent interfaith event: … it was fair game to commence with a comedy of a drunk, white, racist man wrapped in the Australian flag
Australians laws are not so much Christian or Western, as progressive, this poses a challenge to both conservative forces in Australia and to incoming Islamic peoples whose values may be out of step with the mainstream.
...one in four Australians were uncomfortable with Islam.
One reason was that multiculturalism is laying the foundations for ethnic separatism under increased migration from Islamic countries. References were made to Muslim ‘enclaves’ in Sydney and Melbourne, and the riots in Cronulla in 2005, to suggest a lack of willingness on the part of Muslims to embrace the Australian lifestyle, values and behaviours.
It was submitted by many that Islam is a rigid system of laws not just a religion: ‘a political system, a legal system, a financial system as well as just a religion—it is a whole system’
A gradual Islamification was alleged. Demands for services and facilities to conform to Islamic cultural practices, it was claimed, are but the first step towards calls for implementation of Shari’ah law, as advanced overseas. Government compliance with demands for Islamic schools, prayer rooms, segregated swimming pools, codes of dress, food preparation (Halal), and finance arrangements under the banner of respect for diversity was cited as a dangerous trend
There were particular concerns about the rights of migrant women and girls who may be subject to restrictions that are incompatible with Australian values. Submissions referred to cultural practices such as polygamy, honour killing, female genital mutilation and child marriage being justified on either cultural or religious grounds. The wearing of the Burqa was raised as a potent symbol of the potential threat to women’s rights in our society: ...
... it is a repugnant reminder of the Middle Ages. I am appalled at the message this sends to our daughters. How easily we tread over our own culture and those things we fought for and hold dear, in the interest of protecting someone else’s rights!22
...death threats had been made against refugee converts from Islam (apostasy) in Australia, and that there were fears for family members left behind in Islamic countries.
...Hezb ut–Tahrir and conservative Imams were promoting the radicalisation of second generation Muslim youth and voluntary social exclusion.... the formation of Muslim-only enclaves, leading to long term problems
...Islam does not support the doctrine of separation of the powers, nor the distinction between church and state which is fundamental to Westminster systems of government.
Section 116 of the Australian Constitution provides that:
The Commonwealth shall not make any law for establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion, and no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth.
It was said that Accommodation of Islamic codes for dress, foods and finance and compliance with requests for Islamic only facilities, schools and services is in breach of Section 116.
And that compliance with further requests to accommodate Islamic practices may lead to calls for Shari’ah courts like those operating in the United Kingdom. References were also made to the softening of European laws to accommodate Muslim practices, such as polygamy, as a precursor to potential developments in Australia.
It was asserted that … the overwhelming majority of Australian Muslims want nothing more than to get on with their lives and make meaningful contributions to this wonderful country.
And that fear and alarm about the Islamic community has diminished commitment to multiculturalism, shifting the focus back to integration and assimilation.
The inquiry received submissions that in... western societies such as Australia. In particular, these commentators argued against the view that Islam is a fixed and fundamentalist faith, impervious to change and unwilling to adapt to Australian society.
It was explained that Shari’ah means ‘giving or showing the way’ and presides over Islam’s five core protections ‘which are life, property, the human mind, belief in religion, and family and lineage’ as identified in the Koran. These laws, however, are not fixed. Instead they take into account the circumstances existing at a given time or in a given place.
However there were substantial submissions for a dual Australian system where Sharia takes priority:
The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) advised that, ... Islam advocates for legal pluralism and accepts all customs of the land, known as the urf, which are valid considerations in interpreting the Koran as long as they do not contravene the principles of Shari’ah. Bluestar’s Dr Mehmet Ozalp, Director, Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilization, confirmed this as a key principle for scholars to take into account when adjudicating on custom for Muslims living in the western world.
There were ...demands for any accommodation of Islamic cultural practices ... be firmly resisted, as this promotes segregation not integration
Commentary:
Like all religions Islam is here to stay. Although many of its various proponents assert theirs is the correct version the conclusion that is inescapable is that it is diverse.
In Australia Hezb ut–Tahrir and conservative Imams, who belong to a 10- 25% very large minority, (This amounts to somewhere between 5000 and 120,000 people) are promoting the radical version which involves Jihad and totalitarian Sharia.
These people will not be satisfied until Totalitarian Shari Law Prevails.
If it is the case that the overwhelming majority of Muslims in Australia do not support the radicals in this then that is the branch of Islam we need to develop.
If it is the case that Islam is [not] a fixed and fundamentalist faith, [and is not] impervious to change and [is not] unwilling to adapt to Australian society.
If it is true that ... in the Koran. These laws... are not fixed. Instead they take into account the circumstances existing at a given time or in a given place. [such as Australia]
Then that is what we must work on.
The ten point plan.
We must be intolerant to piece meal introduction of any rules or laws which breach our Constitutional requirements for imposing any religious observance.
We must speak out against violence which is calculated to make us fold on this.
Islamic violence is not anomalous but pragmatic and paradigmatic— We must make violence useless to them.
Islamic violence is not committed by psychopaths or deviants from our social norms—Islamic violence is committed by exemplars …. Islamic violence is no excess, no aberration, no accident, no mistake—it embodies violence A core dynamic of Islamic Violence, is the normalizing of Islamic control and dominance over others. We must fight against them achieving their objectives by violence
The influence of “offence” myths on definitions of what is “offensive” explains why Islamists do not define their own behaviour as offensive. This “violence culture’ describes the pervasiveness and acceptability of violent Islamic response to “offensive acts” and the supportive messages in media and popular discourse. Specially by other faiths. Victims of bloody murder and violence are now blamed even by non-islamists in a defacto, but denied, acceptance of the cultural paradigm of a murderous response now being the normal and therefore acceptable Islamic response to mere offence.: We must not accept that blame – The remedy for “going too far” is a criminal charge of offensive behaviour. Not murder.
The role of Islamic violence in controlling other’s behaviour through fear means that, due to the threat of violence all others live in constant jeopardy, in a virtual state of siege. a form of terrorizing, group-based social control.: - We must do what we always do. Eat Pork, Drink Beer, Speak as we wish. We must not over react.
Terrorism advances its political purpose, the subordination of others , by terrorizing two targets: the direct victims, who are seen as expendable, and the broader population to whom a message is sent, and who can then be manipulated by fear into complying with demands they would otherwise reject. Even those who, because of their conformity to these rules, do not feel afraid of being personal victims have nonetheless been terrorized into compliance. : -We must encourage ourselves and our media not to self censor.
The threat of violence with its false promise that by being “good” they can avoid disaster, plays an important role in training others in the requirements of Islamists. It brings hesitancy, relative weakness, and restraint, even more vulnerability to violence and others are taught to view their own culture as dangerously provocative and offensive. : - We must celebrate our own culture as we see it – and we can be strong about it without over-reaction.
Others are given a sense of duty to control, conceal, and monitor their own behaviour, so as not to bring disaster upon themselves.
The responsibility for violence should not distribute from Islamists to Muslims as a group. Calm Down. They do not bear collective responsibility for Islamic Violence.
There are 1.2 billion Muslims in the World. The best estimates are that 10 to 25%, or 180 to 300 million are radical Islamists.
The Lindt hostages did die. The French Satirists were shot dead.
It is time to forget about offending people. It is time to fight in our own democratic way.
By starting now we may have a chance to change and adapt Islam to Australian society instead of the other way around.