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Muslims: "Accept Aussie Values
or Clear Off"
Australian Minister: Muslims -- Accept
Aussie Values or Clear Off.
Australia Broadcasting Corporation,
Newsline
24 August 2005
Finally
someone with the guts to tell it like it is. 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
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 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 multicultural community
has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national
identity. 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." |