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Did you happen to read reporter Paul Maley’s profile of Ahmed Kilani, “founder of Australia’s biggest Muslim media organisation” who, as the headline in The Australian put it, wants a “revolution” within the community of his Australian co-religionists. Good stuff, you may have thought: a genuine, flesh-and-blood incarnation of the “moderate” Muslims we hear so much about yet seldom see. Unlike the Mufti, he speaks English and, going by the quotes, who could quibble with his assertion that Muslim leaders are out of touch with the broader Australian society? When Koran-quoting butchers kill scores in Paris (and a few more for good measure in San Bernardino), spiritual leaders who attempt to place such slaughter in the context of grievances against Israel, ASIO and the cult of perpetual victimhood do not open the door to greater understanding.
Ah, but here’s the rub. While Kilani’s willingness to critique the Islamic leadership, or what passes for it, is undoubtedly a force for good, that same “Muslim media organisation” he founded can serve as a vehicle for airing that special brand of paranoid intolerance and aggression of which we have seen quite a bit.
Consider the history of an article posted on Kilani’s Muslim Village site even as he was being quoted about the need for reform, change and sweet reasonableness. Lifted from the UK’s Independent, the piece was headlined “White Supremacy Bigger Threat to US Than Radical Islam.” Spurious nonsense though the report may be, there is nothing unusual about it. Academic grant-snafflers, such as po-mo piffle-mongering “terrorism expert” Professor Anne Aly, preach that same line after every latest Islamist outrage. So does Barack Obama and, of course, our very own ABC.
Most unsettling about the article was the reader comments below it, which rather put pay to Kilani’s argument that the Islamic community’s problems reside with its leadership. If those comments reflect the broader perspective of the Muslim congregation, there is grave cause for concern. Change the leadership, fine and dandy! But how does one change attitudes like those below?
That Australia is an illegitimate state:
Jew-hatred and paranoia:
Anti-Christian, too:
Islamist terrorism isn’t genuine terrorism:
And a bit more hatred for Jews, with several endorsements:
Boston Tea Party and 9/11, London 7/7, Parramatta, Paris, San Bernardino…. same thing really:
There were many other comments in a similar vein — and the key word here is “were”, as the thread was flushed down the memory hole after a three days of the faithful’s frothing and venting.
Difficult as it may be for Mr Kilani to see a change for the better in Australia’s Muslim leadership, the enormity of that task must be rated as no more than light lifting when judged against the onerous chore of persuading Muslims to abandon the poisoned mindset and twisted perspectives from which many draw so much comfort.
Roger Franklin is the editor of Quadrant Online. The comments at Muslim Village were copied and captured before being made to disappear and all further public input banned.
Being a religion with a history of violent conquest on the Arabian Peninsula, it is not surprising that Islam is a terrible, doctrinally violent, inescapably violent religion. But what can be said about the religion does not automatically follow for those born into it. For if they ‘religiously’ followed their creed, in those western countries subject to significant Muslim immigration, we would be plagued by constant jihad, and with the violent reactions of the jihadists’ victims.
“Quran (2:191-193) – ‘And kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out. And Al-Fitnah [disbelief or unrest] is worse than killing… but if they desist, then lo! Allah is forgiving and merciful. And fight them until there is no more Fitnah [disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allah] and worship is for Allah alone. But if they cease, let there be no transgression except against Az-Zalimun (the polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc.)’ (Translation is from the Noble Quran)” (Etc.)
In Australia, we saw the beginnings of this sort of communal violence in Sydney’s Cronulla Riots, which began on December 11, 2005; (10th anniversary coming up.) Fortunately, the militant Muslim instigators of the violence were overwhelmed by the police and public response, and gave up their campaign to claim Cronulla as ‘their’ beach. But soon order was restored, and relations calmed down. This despite a significant number of commentators who should have known better denouncing the ‘racism’ displayed by the Australians against the Muslims.
Like Christians, Muslims have cherry-picked their scripture. That is the only way they can avoid constant war against all infidels. They have panel-beaten their religion into something popularly acceptable.
Christians are taught to recite the Lord’s Prayer (in infancy in many cases – I cannot recall a time when I was unable to do it). But not many in my experience can recite from memory the full Sermon on the Mount, of which it forms a part. That is not surprising, as much of the advice in it is difficult to follow in real life, and historically, has been honoured by Christians far more in the breach than in the observance. (eg: “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Matthew 5:39; KJV)
Christianity has likewise been through the panel-beater’s shop; on occasions too numerous to mention.
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/023-violence.htm
http://biblehub.com/matthew/5-39.htm
So much for “deradicalisation” then. There is just no getting away from it: Islam is the problem, not the individual or groups of “radicalised” Muslims. Being a genuine Muslim equates with what is ridiculously called being “radicalised”. The only difference between Islamic terrorists and “moderate” Muslims is that the former act out the instructions in their holy scripture while the latter refrain from doing so. Alas, many of the latter ever more frequently join the former.
A ‘radical’ Muslim is one who’ll cut off the head of ‘unbelievers’, a moderate Muslim is one who will silently watch and never publicly disapprove of the barbarity.
The middle east is a very muddied picture. Israeli Jews or Muslims, we shouldn’t be helping any of them. We have no business there.
First we find out that Turkey are likely benefactors of ISIS oil. Then this, published in an Israeli business website:
http://www.globes.co.il/en/article.aspx?did=1001084873
ISIS have never directly threatened Israel. Why is that do you think?
So I agree Islam as an ideology is broken. But just about everything to do with the area is also. Let’s withdraw completely and leave them to sort their own mess out.
Whether Israel is buying or not buying ISIS oil is pretty much immaterial in the scheme of things. Trivialising the significance of Islam as a threat to western civilisation by confining it to the Middle East is disingenuous and seriously mistaken. The reality of the situation is the flood of Muslims into Europe, potentially millions of them, soon to be followed by their extended families; their extraordinarily high birth rate; the ever expanding range of special concessions granted to Muslim immigrants everywhere, and, of course, their openly declared aim and intention of subjugating the whole world to accept Islam. Everything else is trivial by comparison.
Islam is by no way “broken”, it is kicking along pretty well and that is the great worry.
Hi Bill,
Thanks for the reply.
Allow me to spell this out: if the allegation that Israel is purchasing significant amounts of laundered oil from ISIS then Israel is supporting ISIS terrorism to the tune of $1 million per day. This same terrorism plays a significant role in the flood of Muslims entering Europe, so therefore Israel is aiding and abetting the invasion of Europe by hijra Muslims.
So in conclusion Israel’s purchasing of ISIS oil has *direct* material impact on the situation in the middle east and Europe.
To paraphrase your words, trivialising the significance of this as a threat to western civilisation is disingenuous and seriously mistaken.
Otherwise, I agree with you regarding the significant threat of Islam to western civilisation. Indeed, if I take your relative position, Islam is far from broken: the effectiveness of its savagery makes our civilisation look moribund. Perhaps we need to channel some of its savagery and deport every Muslim from Western countries?
To be frank, Islam would never have been an issue in the West if it wasn’t weakened by leftist philosophy like that of the Frankfurt School which demonised all forms of European group identity as manifestations of mental illness and is principally responsible for the rise of “political correctness”. This philosophy became established in the 60s and effected in the 70s the dismantling of all forms of ethnic immigration control in the West.
I can’t argue with any of that acarroll.
Well, I can! Instead of using an allegation as the basis to attack Israel, how about providing genuine proof that this purchase of oil is occurring. Basing any argument on hearsay and then making it a fact is the classical straw-man argument which is both worthless and contemptible.
@Davidovich,
If you follow the thread of our conversation, my reference to Israel followed Bill Martin’s statement that *if* Israel are buying oil from ISIS that it is inconsequential compared to the threat of the Muslim invasion of Europe. I, by following logical deduction, showed that *if* the allegation is true, then — to put it conservatively — it materially exacerbates the situation, i.e. it’s not inconsequential.
The accidental purchase of oil from ISIS due to an upstream agent’s deception is excusable if the deception is identified, purchasing stops and controls are put in place to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
*Any* purchasing of oil *known* to originate from ISIS by Israel or Turkey totally undermines a so-called “moral imperative” to intervene on the side of anti-Assad regime forces that the political class have been trying to sell to Australian citizens whose primary concern is what is in Australia’s interests. (As if altruism *ever* plays a role in foreign affairs…) If proven true then past precedent would indicate that the supporters of ISIS terrorism should be the ones getting sanctioned and bombed.
The allegation that Israel is purchasing laundered ISIS oil appears to me to have some substance and is similarly troubling to the allegation of Turkey’s sponsorship of ISIS via the purchase of oil. Indeed any sign that our so-called “friends and allies” in the region are deceiving us in order to use our military assets — and therefore tax dollars — to aid the execution of their own aggressive geopolitical or demographic agenda should be taken extremely seriously.
In summary, I argue that we can’t trust any actor in the region, including Israel and Turkey. By corollary we should be very wary about their respective domestic lobbies.
My dogs in the race are Australia and the homelands of my indigenous Western European ancestors. What are yours?