Sunday, February 12, 2006

Responses to the controversial article on Danish cartoons

My article posted on this blog concerning the Danish cartoon controversy was itself the subject of much controversy. It was first reproduced on OnlineOpinion, which triggered interviews on ABC Radio in Melbourne and Brisbane as well as a joint interview with a Melbourne writer on Triple J's Hack program.

I was then approached by the New Zealand Dominion Post newspaper who wished to reproduce the article with some minor alterations. (Readers might recall that in New Zealand the Dominion Post newspaper, which is produced in Wellington, published all 12 cartoons.) This led to unprecedented traffic on this blog as well as some interesting feedback from readers who e-mailed me directly.

Comments to my reflections can be found on the OnlineOpinion site here. Some of the comments were quite feral, as were some comments posted on this blog. I have allowed virtually all comments to be posted so that people's prejudices and well as their views can be made apparent.

I wanted to share some of the feedback on the article which people e-mailed to me directly, and I have kept contributor's identities as vague as possible.
__________________________

Thank you Irfan, this is an impressive article thatsays much that needs to be said and thought about seriously

Kath
________

Hi,

I just saw your article ' Danish cartoons: Muslims in their own Dark Age '.

As a Catholic, I've witnessed that a successful way to promote the good side of a faith is through role models. Christians use examples like Mother Theresa from India, Mary MacKillip and other saints. Buddhists use the Dalai Lama.

For societies to appreciate the value of a group of people, they typically judge examples that they see. Thus, to help change the way Islam is perceived in Sydney or anywhere, examples of Muslim charity workers, etc need to be publicised and revered as the 'true Muslims'.

Regards,
Damon
_________

Irfan.

Your blog urging the muslim world to put their own house in order has been published in a New Zealand newspaper.

I have read it and wish to thank you for such a well reasoned, thoughtful expression of common sense. It has been sadly lacking in this debate up to this point.

I only wish it could be bottled up and force fed to the bigots who exist on both sides, muslim and non muslim.

Keep up the good work

B

_____________

Hi Irfan

I thought I'd check your blog in light of what's been happening in regards to the Danish Cartoons. I think your blog presents a balanced argument. However it's not only Muslims who get offended by this so called "freedom-of-speech".

Witness, for example, Senator Kerry Nettle's t-shirt that read "Tony Abbott Keep your rosaries off our ovaries" in regards to the RU486 debate in parliament at presnt.

To us catholics who pray to God by saying the rosary this is indeed offensive. But we are taught to turn the other cheek.

take care
sincerely
Steve
____________________

Muslims are dangerous, racist people. Australia is better off without them. Muslims are 5 times more likely to be on welfare and Muslim men are responsible for 60% of crime in Sydney. These are true facts. Why do Aussies need these illiterate camel jockeys? We don't. You might be new to Australia but I remember Australia in the good old days. They were good old days - we didn't have all this racial tension that we have today. Also our standard of living was higher. Migrants are reducing Australia's standard of living. Muslims should stay in their own countries and tear them apart.

Just look at the Muslim world. It is a mess. We don't need Muslim trouble moving to Australia. White Australians have taken enough racist shit directed at them and we are now fighting back. We need justice and a return to commonsense. Both which are severely lacking at the moment due to too many migrants causing problems in Australia. There is no economic benefit to be gained with all the new Muslim and Asian migrants. They are a drain on the taxpayers of Australia.

Muslim live by the sword and they will die by the sword. Mohammed had 22 wifes and fought in 26 battles. Would you call him a good role model to young Muslims?

A Prophet performs miracles but Mohammed didn't. He only caused pain. He raped a 9 year old girl at 50. How sick! You Muslims should get better role models or better still convert to Christianity. Christianity is much better than Kaba worship.

Proud to be Aussie.

Nicholas

_________________
Irfan,

I enjoyed your comments - right on target. The big question in my mind is whether the Muslim world can pull itself out of this era of decline and despair, or whether this is a terminal decline leading in the future to a repeat of what we see across Africa today.

The fashionable hostility toward to West will only antagonise increasing numbers in the West, and pull fence sitters on these issues across to the camp of the intolerant and unforgiving. Too many moderate and reasonable people I know have crossed this threshold already, and have no respect for the Muslim world, and perceive Muslims to be violent barbarians in general.

One thing the Muslim world wants to avoid is becoming popularly perceived in the West as the new Nazis of this era. This point may be closer than many imagine - Iran was recently gone a long way to advancing this issue, after Al Qaeda's visible fondness for regurgitated NSDAP propaganda.

In a sense the incessant calls for Jihad differ very little from the call to the Crusades - the absence of centralised theological authority in Islam is perhaps the only major differentiator.

The sad reality is that the extremists in the Muslim world have become addicted to the use of the Western/global mass media as a distribution channel for their propaganda - trying to actively emulate the Giap strategy of the Vietnam era. The byproduct of this is that the West is now fed a steady daily media diet of violence perpetrated by Muslims, and outrageous Islamo-fascist propaganda and rhetoric.

I have never been a fan of the Huntingdon thesis, but it almost seems as if there are too many people out there who want it to materialise.

The media are addicted to violence, mayhem and controversy, and the Islamic fundamentalists are addicted to the global power and reach the media provide them with.

Unless there is a major grass roots movement amongst moderate Muslims to break this behaviour, it will only get worse and end up with the world perceiving Muslims largely as 21st century Nazis. Once that happens, all bets are off as to the outcome.

The Islamic world cannot win a global full scale war against Western nations and others who would join in. Whether such a conflict would be fought with nuclear or conventional weapons is immaterial. Jihadists with roadside bombs, RPGs and AKMs cannot compete with fleets of bombers. The seemingly popular belief amongst the Jihadists, Iran and others in this camp that a major conflict with the West can be won is absurd.

The West currently conducts military operations with a large number of self imposed constraints, which essentially make indiscriminate use of firepower illegal or improper. Such sentiments existed before WW2 but quickly vanished once the war with Germany and Japan escalated. The result was the large scale destruction of both nations.

A nuclear weapon used by terrorists is the kind of event which would rapidly tip the
balance in the West.

Keep up the good work,

Carlo
_____________
Dear Sir,

Thank you for a vary interesting article. I found it on OnlineOpinion.com.au. (a
most interesting site)

I agree with you thst the radicals have hijacked your religion. This is also being done to Christianity. More moderates need to speak out as you have done.

As Edmund Burke said, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

Many Thanks and please keep up the good work.

Ed

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good posts on an important debate. I agree it's better to let people see how strong the prejudices are that are out there.

trackback

Anonymous said...

I've read a lot of comments in your blog along the lines of:

All Arabs, Asians, Jews, Muslims, Italians, Yugoslavians, Serbs, Bosnians, Greeks (and the rest of the wog mob) should be rounded in lakemba left to rot or get raped or nuked or whatever.

That is really sick and disgusting. It is really sad to see that there are people (probably white red necks) in the 21st century with that type of medieval mentality.

Irfan dont publish these sad sick comments. Dont give them anyspace on your blog. Let their sick views rot in their sick minds and buried with them to the grave.

thanks,

Israel D'Jesus

Anonymous said...

Israel D'Jesus said: It is really sad to see that there are people (probably white red necks) in the 21st century with that type of medieval mentality.

I am asian. I resent being called a white red neck. Because I am yellow and rich. I don't care what Israel D'Jesus thinks because he is a muslim. Israel D'Jesus says:

All Arabs, Asians, Jews, Muslims, Italians, Yugoslavians, Serbs, Bosnians, Greeks (and the rest of the wog mob) should be rounded in lakemba left to rot or get raped or nuked or whatever.
All of us know that people have only been complaining about muslims and not Christians and his attempt to associate himself with the 'wog mob' is a pathetic attempt to hide behind multi-culturalism. Wogs and asians are allowed to hate muslims and we do.

Anonymous said...

All these posts from kiwis indicate that New Zealand is still a muslim-free country and that crazy muslims like the ones we have are not going to be welcome there anytime soon. These anti-muslim posts really do personify the good old ANZAC spirit.

Anonymous said...

Israel D'Jesus thinks its okay to burn down embassies, issue death threats and practice a violent militant Islam. BUt when it comes to posts on a blog he wants censorship. D'Jesus can you understand that people find your presence in their country offensive? Do you comprehend that you are abnormal and far away from mainstream Australia by converting from Judaism to Islam? Isn't that a bit crazy?

Anonymous said...

Irfan, although i hate Muslims and Jews, i got to say you're a genius mate.

Irfan, i found the cartoons tasteless too, and i do respect Mohamet for who he was; being ranked the most influential man to have ever lived by Michael Hart in his 'The 100'. On this basis the outrage by Muslims is understandable.

Irfan you should write a post about Freedom of Speech being an 'idealist' phenomenon and not a 'realist' one. Because, as i am typing this out, British historian David Irving is locked up in Austrian cell for refusing to accept the Holocaust. Whatever happened to freedom of speech?

thanks,

Theodor Mitchellson

Anonymous said...

Irfan, when are you going to lose weight fat ass?

Anonymous said...

To re-phrase your words:

The muslims are addicted to violence, mayhem and controversy, and Irfan is addicted to the global power and reach the blog provides him.

Anonymous said...

People shouldn't be forced to own muslims if they don't want one.

Anonymous said...

"I am asian. I resent being called a white red neck. Because I am yellow and rich." Clearly you are ashamed of being yellow and not blue eyed blonde like me and 20 million others. Clearly you would rape your mum in return for white skin, blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Israel D'Jesus thinks its okay to burn down embassies, issue death threats and practice a violent militant Islam." I didnt say that. Violence is by no means justified.
Dont make things up.

"Do you comprehend that you are abnormal and far away from mainstream Australia by converting from Judaism to Islam? Isn't that a bit crazy?" My family has been here since 1809, thus i am more australian than the great majority of people here. And i dont see anything wrong in chosing Islam over Judaism as my religion. Iam proud of being born Jew and having Jewish heritage, but Islam makes much more sense to me, thus my choice of being Muslim. The reason Islam is seen as a violent religion is due to the acts of Muslims. No one should judge Islam on the action of Muslims. Indeed Christianity is the most violent of all, for Hitler (who massacred 6 million of my Jewish people), Muscolini and all other European dictators were Christians. Is Christianity violent? My whole family is Jew, although they strongly despised me for being Muslim in the first 3 months of my conversion, they now accept me wholeheartedly. So where's the problem?

You narrow minded racist Muslim hating people need to grow up. Stop judging Islam on the basis of what Muslims do. It's naive.

thanks,

Israel D'Jesus (ex Jew, now Muslim)

Anonymous said...

"Because, as i am typing this out, British historian David Irving is locked up in Austrian cell for refusing to accept the Holocaust. Whatever happened to freedom of speech?thanks,Theodor Mitchellson"

Why are all your mates Nazis Irfan? You seem to attract Nazis the way young shepherd boys attract muslims.

Anonymous said...

"but Islam makes much more sense to me, thus my choice of being Muslim."

You are crazy. And you are really crazy if you think Nazis were Christian. Basically you are saying you are too stupid to stay a jew so you became a dumb muslim. As an ex-jew muslims probably assume you must be pretty smart. Because they are so inferior.

If the muslims did nothing while Saddam was gassing the Kurds isn't it about time we started gassing muslims just to see if the Kurds will do anything to stop it?.The same goes for the jews. Lets start gassing muslims to see what the hebe reaction is. I don't see this as revenge for all the years we've had to put up with muslims. Just a cultural experiment advancing human knowledge.

Anonymous said...

Israel D'Jesus (ex Jew, now Muslim) has pointed out the mistakes we made when it came to the jews. Hopefully this time around we will have more success with the muslim solution. Actually I'm hoping for a gene bomb that will wipe out all semitic races once and for all.

Anonymous said...

Irfan

I meant to let you know (trackbacks to blogger sites don't seem to work) that I've put up a post discussing the reaction to your article at LP. You'd be most welcome to comment, and I hope you find the time to do so.

kind regards

Kim

Anonymous said...

All halal food should contain the abortion drug RU486

Anonymous said...

"Basically you are saying you are too stupid to stay a jew so you became a dumb muslim. As an ex-jew muslims probably assume you must be pretty smart. Because they are so inferior." No. That is not what i said. I am smart as i had the guts to suspend my Jewish faith while i went onto studying other faiths, and chosing one which made sense to me. No, my Muslim brothers dont see me as superior to them, in fact i have found them to be very loving and supportive even though im of Jewish heritage. We are all equals. The brotherhood bond found between Muslims can not be found anywhere else.

"Israel D'Jesus (ex Jew, now Muslim) has pointed out the mistakes we made when it came to the jews. Hopefully this time around we will have more success with the muslim solution. Actually I'm hoping for a gene bomb that will wipe out all semitic races once and for all." You are a narrow minded, racist, neoconservative christian evangelist. Christianity's mere existence is in debt to Judaism forever and ever and ever. Without Judaism, Christians wouldnt of existed. It is really offending to say you can perform a better annihilation on Muslims learning from your annihilating mistakes on the Jews. You are sick.

thanks,

Israel D'Jesus (ex Jew, now Muslim)

Himself said...

Food containing an abortion drug is by definition not halal. Which anonymous fucks like you can eat as much of it as you like.

Anonymous said...

"Without Judaism, Christians wouldnt of existed." Thanks brainiac. A big thank-you to all the jews who were kind enough to kill jesus.

Irf said...

OK, that'ts enough. I won't be allowing any further racist, Jew-hating, Muslim-hating and any other hating comments on this blog. if you don't like it, go and join the ruling faction of the NSW Young Liberals.

Anonymous said...

I love muslims and jews. If you love someone and they are in pain you should help them escape their misery. Vote 1 Assisted Semite Suicide (ASS)

Anonymous said...

Dear Irf,
This comment-on-comments is more political and social than religious:

The outbursts of anger and hate by people like "Nicholas" are very unpleasant but understanable and even inevitable. Moslem migrants, and non-Moslem migrants from Greater Araby, have fallen into the same trap that befell New Australians from Central and Eastern Europe half a century ago.

In trying to settle into their new home with a minimum of trouble, all but a few allowed themselves to be herded into social structures that suited the interests of Australia's nasty, sneaky Failed Elite; not knowing the undercurrents of life in Australia, they allowed themselves to be successflly manipulated for selfish commercial and political purposes - a bit of cynical sympathy from time to time and putting a few token "Wogs and Balts" up on pedestals (and putting the rest into menial jobs) did wonders for keeping the screws on all those awful, uppity native-born Australians in the "lower socio-economic groups".

For the New Australians, this meant becoming the shock-troops of Anti-Communism, Anti-Nationalism and Union-Busting. Despite the stereotypes, for the older generation of native-born Australians, most didn't really give a damn about race, religion, language, ethnicity or culture but they did get very upset over the deliberate erosion of their wages, working conditions and standard of living - it's no wonder so many now detest migrants (which, by the way, is an attitude that suits the interests of Australia's Failed Elite).

Migrants in the last couple of decades have repeated the same mistakes. Instead of taking the tougher option of striving to integrate into the broader Australian society while preserving whatever is dear to them from the old homeland - and thereby enriching us all - they have gone for the soft options. In so doing they have become the gullible shock-troops of Australia's de facto apartheid and of so-called "Multiculturalism", which, in excluding, demonizing and vilifying native-born Australians of "the lower socio-economic groups", has shown that it has absolutely NOTHING to do either culture or with encouraging tolerance and diversity and EVERYTHING to do with keeping a corrupt and evil Failed Elite firmly entrenched - and the Cronulla riots certainly helped keep them entrenched as well as providing gladiatorial entertainment for them.

Next time someone speaks to you about "racist Australians", "rednecks in rural Queensland", "stupid Skip dole-bludgers", "Hansonites", "White Australians", "monocultural Australians", "Anti-Moslem Australians" or uses any similar slanderous terms, you can shut them up immediately by inviting them to do their own dirty work for a change and that you've got better things to do.

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

Graham Bell your over-educated, entirely boring, post-Marxist interpretation of history clearly marks you as a typical Labor hater. There are no nasty failed Elites cleverly manipulating migrants to help oppress the working class. They are the figment of your hate. The people you seek to champion - the less wealthy Australian-born justifiably vote Hanson and AAFI and vote for John Howard. This continuing ‘kick in the guts’ to your hopes and dreams is a very good thing for Australia. It is most amusing that the constituency you pretend to champion consistently rejects you and your kind. This continuing failure has obviously hardened your hatred of the ‘failed Elites’. One day you may wish to see the truth - That you are pointless and irrelevant and that your political work and earnest hate is entirely wasted.

Irfan chose not to publish my previous response to your ramblings.
Your interpretation of the Crusades in your ‘brawling idiots’ theory forgot to consider the vast amount of investment by Europe in simple things like iron weapons, ring and chain mail, horses and ships and the required provisioning over lengthy journeys. There are many historical examples of religious fanaticism including the various Children’s Crusade and the Shepherds Crusades which you chose to ignore. Many of the wealthy and powerful of Europe embarked on the Crusades including Emperors and Kings and Princes. Not your fanciful mere ‘brawling idiots’.

Anonymous said...

Shoot all the sand niggers.

They don't belong in our country.

Anonymous said...

to the 3:09pm Anonymous

Post-Marxist? Ha Ha Ha! Boring? Ha Ha Ha! Hatred? Ha Ha Ha !etc., etc.. You've given me the best belly-laugh I've had all week.

Sorry, you really have got me mixed up with someone else. I had a bloody-sight more involvement with migrants over several decades than you can imagine; what I know and experienced came from direct personal involvement, not from the pages of scholarly journals.

Surely you didn't expect me to risk litigation by naming the bludgers who profited from manipulating migrants for their own devious ends, did you? Fair go sport!

As for the Crusades, etc.: I didn't ignore anything. This is a blog, not a textbook on 12th and 13th century military history!!!!! What impressed me was Irfan's very concise mention of a part of history that is quite relevant to understanding what's going on today.

Anonymous said...

Graham Bell. Your pseudo intellectual posturing is not at all helpful to the discussions at hand. The Crusades are of no relevance whatsoever to current events and discussions. The only similarity is that Islam was involved both times.

How can anybody compare wars fought to regain control of the Holy Land from Islamic aggressors to a group of Australian Born, culturally bankrupt, tribal thugs with no respect for decorum, decency, authority or appropriatemess seeking to disrupt an emerging and largely tolerant society?

Enough with the left wing, pseudo-intellectual, selectively contextual, babble. PLEASE!

Anonymous said...

Graham Bell has an important voice and a vital role to play. Australia needs Graham Bell. It is critically important that the loud-mouth belligerent minority of ill-informed opinion which he represents is given an outlet into which a few fanatics can channel their limited mental powers. Far better that Graham Bell and his type compose mindless screeds filled with hate attacking their own country and culture rather than the alternative. The alternative is that this vicious hate-filled minority opinion might descend even further into more destructive avenues such as violence and terrorism in the way that International Islam has. It is convenient that they think that their opinions have some hope of swaying the overwhelming bulk of decent Australians who reject Graham Bell and his fellow travellers. In this way Graham Bell and his ilk can mouth off till the cows come home without doing much actual harm to Australia or themselves. The West is going to destroy Islam with or without Graham Bell and his sort.

Anonymous said...

We need Darleks to help us wiht the muslim problem. Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!