BUSH MANURE, INTERNET CRAP, XENOPHOPIC GARBAGE. AND ANTI ALL-MUSLIMS EXCREMENT RECYCLED IN A NEW WAVE OF BRAINLESS EMAILINGS

BUSH MANURE, INTERNET CRAP, XENOPHOPIC GARBAGE. AND ANTI ALL-MUSLIMS EXCREMENT RECYCLED IN A NEW WAVE OF BRAINLESS EMAILINGS…GET A LIFE FOLKS AND DEAL WITH THE REAL PROBLEMS OF THIS WORLD!

I decided to address this “Internet Rumor” piece because it keeps showing up and I happen to be in possession of an Email from an Australian who takes exception with the perception it creates.

In addition to that I was recently re exposed to an analogy I had almost forgotten, an analogy employing a ball of twine, the inner end no longer visible being the beginning of all us in a common DNA strand, no wrapping being equal or the same, the nature of twine, but bound together as surely as all humanity in bound together as brothers and sisters from the beginning to the end.

The analogy was offered by a member of the faith of Islam at a Peace/Impeachment Rally on thet Washington Mall in a plea to recognize our common humanity and the fact that Extremists in the Moslem world are not representative of all who adhere to that belief system….Think about it!

PLEASE!

MUSLIMS OUT OF AUSTRALIA!

(Verified on Snopes) The URL for this page is

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

URBAN LEGENDS REFERENCE PAGES © 1995-2007BY BARBARA AND DAVID P. MIKKELSON

Muslims Out of Australia!

Claim: E-mail quotes statements from Australian government officials about Sharia law and Muslim extremists.

Status: True. (But incomplete and misleading in a self-serving spin type presentation. Full context not provided…obviously!) Events of 2005 surface in 2006 in England.

(1) FIRST A LETTER OF COMPLAINT AT THE CIRCULATION.

“Properly Pissed Aussie”

Email: (Now I admit; I enjoyed this one!)

To all US citizens who may view my words:

We all know that the American government does not have a monopoly on big mouthed, hot air filled politicians who spend most of their careers going around spouting whatever it is that they think the people would like to hear, or whatever they think will us in line so that they can be about their sticky fingered, skirt chasing, public trough pilfering, whether their noises cause more harm than they do good.

Australia is no exception. I admit we tend, in general, to be more direct, some say crass, crude and even rude, in our public discourse. The outside world: that would be all you Email in suckers what don’t live on our beautiful ocean surrounded continent, don’t think of us “down unders” as being “politically correct, polite, or even civilized, and you just yearn to be like what you believe us to be.

We have an International TV and Movie image of being a some what simple minded, beer guzzling bunch rowdies clinging to fond memories of our frontier days busy shooting rabbits off our back porches, chasing Kangaroos and playing with those foul smelling Koala Bears you consider so cuddly. Them creatures has some awesome teeth and wicked claws.

Yep, as far as you what get off on the pile of kangaroo Krap Email being pissed around the net are concerned; we are all kissing cousins to Crocodile Dundee, you love us and wish you could be like us.

Now if I can manage to get my mental tongue out of my and get cheek and get serious about this “Muslims Out of Australia” Email that been in circulation since 2005, as well as a few other related matters. To be sure we Aussies have our share of problems like every other country in the world right now. Your President Bush said he was going to go into Iraq and “Smokem Out”, and did indeed do that. He smoked out the entire hornets nest of Muslim Fanatics and set them loose on the entire planet.

Time was we knew where the bastard extremists were and we could keep an eye on them, stop the occasional “nut plot” and if they pulled off a caper we were able to track them down and deal with them. There was not a generation of young Muslims just waiting to be bombes and snipers. There was not a generation of young Muslims willing and waiting to send their suicide shredded remains to Allah.

There is now; thanks to Mr. Bush and his mental pygmy IQ.

Though our national Treasurer, Peter Costello, our Prime Minister John Howard and Education Mister Brendan Nelson are usual a cut above the rest of the world’s political leaders; this time in the pursuit of trying to solve a problem, they went over the edge with their rhetoric.

One has the suspicion they’ve have one too many phone calls from your Mr. Bush turning their brains to fashionable Bush Mush.

We are not a nation of bigoted illiterate Fascist inclined racially and religiously intolerant people.

We are a rational people inclined to thoughtful rational solutions to problems, and in their remarks there is indeed some essence with which all Aussies are certainly in agreement, and some commentary that was almost universally rejected.

That with which there was widespread acceptance and concurrence:

"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."

"I have no desire and nor is it the Government's intention to interfere in any way with the freedom or practice of religion.

What I've said is that this is a country, which is founded on a democracy. According to our Constitution, we have a secular state.

Our laws are made by the Australian 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.

This is not the kind of country where you would feel comfortable if you were opposed to democracy, parliamentary law, independent courts and so I would say to people who don't feel comfortable with those values there might be other countries where they'd feel more comfortable with their own values or beliefs.

Essentially, the argument is Australia expects its citizens to abide by core beliefs — democracy, the rule of law, the independent judiciary, independent liberty.

You see, Tony, when you come to Australia and you go to take out Australian citizenship you either swear on oath or make an affirmation that you respect Australia's democracy and its values.

That's what we ask of people that come to Australia and if they don't, then it's very clear that this is not the country — if they can't live with them — whose values they can't share. Well, there might be another country where their values can be shared.

The rhetoric of these officials as regards, language, Christian heritage and values, the “love it or leave without discussion mentality”, is not representative of basic Aussie thought.

More akin to the current disturbed mentality in the US, we can only hope some of the words spoken were in the heat of the moment expressions of a generally held feeling of concern and frustration.

If not, and those opinions run deeper with these three officials; they will have to go.

The point I want to make is that the people of Australia are not a bunch of “Outback Barbarians and Bigots” as the slanted presentation of the recent recirculation of this piece of trash, and that since those rather unfortunate words were uttered by our public officials in 2005 much progress has been made in “Our Great Nation”.

I wish the people of the United States the same good fortune, but I must say at the moment your outlook appears grim.

AND THIS IS THE CONTENT OF THE CIRCULATING EMAIL

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 multi-cultural 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 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."

"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, American citizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths!

If you agree please SEND THIS TO EVERYBODY YOU KNOW

(2) The Snopes full TextExample: [Collected via e-mail, 2005]
Muslims Out of Australia!

CANBERRA 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. A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia 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 the 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 other 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 they 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.

Origins: The July 2005 London Tube bombings raised domestic terrorism concerns in countries with large immigrant Muslim populations, such as Australia. The following month, Australian prime minister John Howard held a two-hour summit with moderate Muslim leaders in Canberra to work on a national strategy for addressing intolerance and the promotion of violence, during which issues such as the curriculum of Islamic schools and suggested measures for vetting imams were discussed.

The Christian Science Monitor noted of the event:

As other governments have found, however, deciding who represents the Muslim community can be a delicate matter. Large sections of the youth, as well as conservative and more critical clerics, have been left out of Howard's summit — meaning some of the government's more aggressive proposals may meet resistance.

But the groups who attended the meeting hailed it as a successful first step in an ongoing dialogue.

"We determined along with the prime minister that there must be more communication between the government and Islamic schools where it comes to teaching common values like democracy, fairness, tolerance and so on, and radicals will be reacted to, whenever they make inflammatory remarks," says Ali Roude, the acting president of the New South Wales Islamic Council.

"It's much worse for us now, because 7/7 showed the world that the enemy is to be found within" instead of 9/11 when the terrorists were all foreigners [said the spokesperson for Lebanese Muslims in Australia]. "Now they are suspicious of all of us, and it's very serious, but the prime minister is only playing politics."

But some Muslims here have a growing sense that they are being defined within the media by the voices of the extremists, and that an intervention by the government and moderate Muslims to counter such elements would be useful.

"So far it was OK to do your own thing. But if the media is focusing on the extreme elements, we need to do something about it," says Chabaan Omran, a senior member of the Federation of Australian Students and Youth, an organization that gives religious advice and teaching to young people. "Muslims need to interact more with mainstream Australia."

This might sit well with recent calls from ordinary Australians asking Muslims to assimilate. But Mr. Omran is worried about the connotations of the word "assimilate," and talks more of "positive integration without undermining our religion."

Prime Minister Howard also publicly announced his intent to have Australian intelligence agencies target mosques and Islamic schools in an effort to "stamp out homegrown terrorism and extremists":

Prime Minister John Howard said on top of trying to promote Australian values in Islamic schools, the Government would monitor what was said in certain schools and mosques to ensure they did not foster terrorism.

Asked whether he was prepared to "get inside" mosques and schools to ensure there was no support for terrorism, Mr Howard was blunt.

"Yes, to the extent necessary," Mr Howard told Southern Cross radio.

"I have no desire and nor is it the Government's intention to interfere in any way with the freedom or practice of religion.

"We have a right to know whether there is, within any section of the Islamic community, a preaching of the virtues of terrorism, whether any comfort or harbour is given to terrorism within that community."

The issue of the integration of Muslims into Australian society prompted controversial remarks by some Australian cabinet ministers, such as this exchange between Treasurer Peter Costello and host Tony Jones on the Lateline television news program on 23 August 2005:

TONY JONES: Now, over the past 24 hours you've been repeating the notion that migrants, evidently Islamic migrants, who don't like Australia, or Australian values, should think of packing up and moving to another country.

Is that a fair assessment?

PETER COSTELLO: What I've said is that this is a country, which is founded on a democracy. According to our Constitution, we have a secular state. Our laws are made by the Australian 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.

This is not the kind of country where you would feel comfortable if you were opposed to democracy, parliamentary law, independent courts and so I would say to people who don't feel comfortable with those values there might be other countries where they'd feel more comfortable with their own values or beliefs.

TONY JONES: It sounds like you're inviting Muslims who don't want to integrate to go to another country. Is it as simple as that?

PETER COSTELLO: No. I'm saying if you are thinking of coming to Australia, you ought to know what Australian values are.

TONY JONES: But what about if you're already here and you don't want to integrate?

PETER COSTELLO: Well, I'll come to that in a moment. But there are some clerics who have been quoted as saying they recognise two laws. They recognise Australian law and Sharia law. There's only one law in Australia, it's the Australian law. For those coming to Australia, I think we ought to be very clear about that. We expect them to recognise only one law and to observe it.

Now, for those who are born in Australia, I'd make the same point. This is a country which has a Constitution. Under its Constitution, the state is secular. Under its constitution, the law is made by the parliament. Under its Constitution, it's enforced by the judiciary. These are Australian values and they're not going to change and we would expect people, when they come to Australia or if they are born in Australia, to respect those values.

TONY JONES: I take it that if you're a dual citizen and you have the opportunity to leave and you don't like Australian values, you're encouraging them to go away; is that right?

PETER COSTELLO: Well, 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 practises it, perhaps then that's a better option.

TONY JONES: But isn't this the sort of thing you hear in pubs, the meaningless populism you hear on talkback radio? Essentially, the argument is if you don't like it here, you should go back home.

PETER COSTELLO: No. Essentially, the argument is Australia expects its citizens to abide by core beliefs — democracy, the rule of law, the independent judiciary, independent liberty. You see, Tony, when you come to Australia and you go to take out Australian citizenship you either swear on oath or make an affirmation that you respect Australia's democracy and its values.

That's what we ask of people that come to Australia and if they don't, then it's very clear that this is not the country — if they can't live with them — whose values they can't share. Well, there might be another country where their values can be shared.

TONY JONES: Who exactly are you aiming this at? Are you aiming it at young Muslims who don't want to integrate or are you aiming it at clerics like Sheikh Omran or Abu Bakr both from Melbourne?

PETER COSTELLO: I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia, one the Australian law and another the Islamic law, that that is false. It's not the situation in Australia. It's not the situation under our Constitution. There's only one law in Australia. It's the law that's made by the Parliament of Australia and enforced by our courts. There's no second law. There's only one law that applies in Australia and Australia expects its citizens to observe it.

Likewise, Education minister Dr. Brendan Nelson offered his opinion that those who do not accept and teach Australian values should leave the country:

Dr Nelson says those who do not accept and teach Australian values should "clear off".

One of the recommendations at Prime Minister John Howard's terrorism summit was for Islamic schools to be encouraged to denounce extremism and teach about Australian traditions and culture.

The Minister says it is important for all groups to be integrated into the Australian community, whatever their religion.

"If you want to be an Australian, if you want to raise your children in Australia, we fully expect those children to be taught and to accept Australian values and beliefs," he said.

"We want them to understand our history and our culture, the extent to which we believe in mateship and giving another person a fair go, and basically if people don't want to support and accept and adopt and teach Australian values then, they should clear off."

The individual statements attributed to Australian government officials included in the e-mail reproduced at the head of this page are thus essentially accurate, but the selectively-quoted excerpts of controversial material from different news stories create the misleading overall impression that Australia enacted a formal policy to force some Muslim groups out of the country. The statements quoted were part of the public debate over an issue that flared briefly in the immediate aftermath of the London Tube bombings, then quietly subsided.

FOR A BETTER SOLUTION TO HELP YOU ALONG WITH YOUR CAMPAIGN; CLICK HERE PLEASE

Summary of the eRumor:

The eRumor appears to be an article that quotes the Australian Finance Minister as saying that immigrants who want to live in Australia need to live by Australian law, not the Sharia law of Islam. He is quoted as saying that Muslims to want to live by Sharia law are not welcome in Australia.

The Truth:

The article quoted in the eRumor was written by Phil Mercer of the BBC and published in February, 2006. The remarks by the Australian Finance Minister Peter Costello were made in a speech on February 23, 2006 to the Sydney Institute.

His speech was titled Worth Promoting, Worth Defending, Australian Citizenship, What it Means and How to Nurture it.

In his speech he extolled the virtues of Australia and the necessity of adhering to Australian law. Then he added, "“But don't you think Australian Muslims – Muslims living in Australia – also have a responsibility to adhere to Australian law?” He went on to say "There is one law we are all expected to abide by. It is the law enacted by the Parliament under the Australian Constitution.

If you can't accept that then you don't accept the fundamentals of what Australia is and what it stands for." He suggested that if someone wanted to live under Sharia law [law derived from the Koran], Saudia Arabia and Iran should be considered. Then he added, "Before becoming an Australian you will be asked to subscribe to certain values. If you have strong objections to those values don't come to Australia.Updated 8/15/06

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

A senior member of Australia's government has said Muslims who want to live by Islamic Sharia law are not welcome in the country. The comments have stoked Muslim anger against the Australian government.

Australian Finance Minister Peter Costello said in a speech late Thursday that immigrants must respect thecountry's laws and traditions. Costello singled outMuslims who wanted to live under Sharia law as not welcome in Australia.

In his speech on Australian citizenship, the minister said his remarks were directed at what he called a"small radical minority." "You don't have to swear atthe football and eat a pie to be an Australian," he said, "but you do have believe in democracy, the rule of law and the rights and liberties of others."

Earlier this week Prime Minister John Howard also addressed Islamic extremism, saying it violatedAustralia's principles. He pointed to contentiousissues such as relations with non-Muslims and the rights of women.

Australian Muslims have reacted with anger to both sets of comments. They accuse the government of beingdeliberately inflammatory and divisive.

Keysar Trad, president of the Islamic FriendshipAssociation of Australia, says Costello's comments are unnecessary. "He is singling out the Muslim community again," he said. "Rather than calling on all citizensto respect the law of the land and respect traditional values, he is making an inference in his comments thatMuslims don't do that. Well, on the contrary, Muslims do respect the law of the land and do respect thevalues of this country."

There are around 300,000 Muslims in Australia.

Community leaders say racism toward this minoritygroup has increased since the terrorist attacks in theUnited States in September 2001 and the bombings onthe Indonesian island of Bali a year later, in which Australian tourists were targeted.