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Friday, December 16, 2005

Muslim & Australian Attitudes

from Ian Johnstone

Dear Basil,
Thanks for your thoughts on the Cronulla clashes.
I agree with your two points, which I see this way:

1. It is difficult for Muslims, used to obeying religious authority, to
submit to a secular government. That is what will make it hard for
Democracy to "take" in Iraq.

2. Muslims see our western culture as decadent; how we run on, covetting, consuming, greedy, self-seeking, polluting, self-indulgent with alcohol and sex.
Muslims perhaps feel self-righteously better than we are, and morally superior.
Add some male rivalry, our indignation at how they treat their women and rape some of ours, and a dash of racial intolerance, and the violence erupts.

There is no one simple remedy, as the origins, and of it and fuel for it continuing, are a combination of deep differences about religion, sex and race. It will take generations for these to subside, as did catholic/protestant differences forty years ago.

Cheers, Ian Johnstone

Good stuff Ian, But we do hope to speed it up by the healthy process of people involvement when we achieve the ballot in parliament. This which will force our representatives to consult with the people in public meetings.
As Latham says (Latham Diaries) our sick politics and sick society feed off each other.
Conversely, healthier politics, through the ballot in parliament, should feed, and be fed off, a healthier society, through this greater public participation.

Basil Smith
Convenor
secretballotparty@fastmail.net

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