Below you will find a quote that was allegedy said by John Howard, the Prime Minister of Australia. I am sharing it with you because I am really curious what people think about the point of view that he is expressing.
I support a couple of the leadership values that are coming through here. For one, that he is being very clear in his point of view. I also support that his is patriotic and pround of the traditional Australian way of life and he wants to protect it.
To me, the tone comes across as though he is angry and fed up with a certain segment of the population which I would like him to polish up because the tone is muting the message of harmony and unity that Howard is trying to deliver. Have a look at post a comment with your opinion.
Prime Minister John Howard - 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.
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.’
‘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.’
‘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.’
March 3rd, 2009 at 4:53 pm
You’re aware that Australia has much closer ties with the U.K. than Canada, but perhaps you aren’t aware that in Australia, religious denominations wear their beliefs on their sleeves, with plenty of evangelical radio stations across the dial fuelling the fervor. After the bus and train bombings in London, several high-ranking imams in Sydney and Melbourne said they were happy to see London suffering as ‘their’ people have suffered under the Judeo-Christian yoke. The resulting outcry sparked weeks of angry, outspoken debate, with public utterances that made Quebec’s reasonable-accommodation hearings look like a tea party. I spoke to a university-educated Australian-born Muslim who deeply resented the institutionalized racism that keeps him in relative poverty. He predicted home-grown terrorism like we’ve seen in England, France, Spain and the U.K. Howard was pandering to popular opinion, but the truth is that as long as Muslims see terror as a legitimate weapon in their struggle, they’ll be on the losing side. You’ll recall Quebec’s own bout with homegrown terrorism from 1963 to 1970, featuring bank robberies, bombings, kidnappings and half a dozen murders. They were ruthlessly put down. It was only when Quebec’s sovereignty movement turned to the hustings and the ballot box that the paradigm shifted.
I don’t think militant Islam will ever realize just how self-defeating terrorism is. Perhaps it’s because of their lack of respect for, or familiarity with, the democratic process. In any case, Australian Muslims have paid a steep price for their actions in the wake of ‘London’s 9/11.’ The day they renounce terror in favour of political and social activism is the day they’ll take that first step in the road to liberation. To break with orthodoxy, especially in one’s own minority community, is a terrifying concept.
Anger, resentment of real or imagined slights and the constant ‘humiliation’ theme are all it takes to push people over the edge, whether they’re members of the FLQ, Basques or Wahabists.
As for John Howard, he was just rephrasing what Pierre Elliott Trudeau said in 1970 when he was asked how far he’d go in crushing dissent. “Just watch me.”
March 12th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Thank you!