As Sydneysiders brace for another round of drive by shootings, the University of Western Sydney has just hosted a seminar to promote Islamic harmony. Entitled ‘Living Islam in the Contemporary Global Society’ (held on October 5)i t aimed to mark 25 years of EID (end of Ramadan) celebrations in Australia and was no doubt one of those warm fuzzy events where warm fuzzy things are said by warm fuzzy representatives of major religions. I know many Jews, Christians and agnostics who would not go anywhere near such an event with a twenty-foot barge pole. But then, some do. This is given by way of description of the conference.
Islam & Muslims need to be a positive contributing factor in today's world. For global peace & harmony there is a current and urgent need for living Islam by its followers and positive comprehension of Islam by all. (source)
Ah just relax and enjoy the fuzzy words as you sip your carrot juice. Yes, there is certainly a need for Muslims to be a positive contributing factor in today’s world. Billions of people would agree. Especially victims of Islamic violence past and present. However whether ‘there is a current and urgent need for living Islam by its followers’ is a debatable point and somehow disturbs the nirvana like fuzz of the opening sentence. If Islam urges violent behaviour on its followers, then why would anyone want others to follow it? 
And when it come to the last part of the quotation above, we get to the nub of the matter that should awaken all thinking people like a dose of smelling salts. Aha – now we understand ‘ there is evidently a current and urgent need for ‘positive comprehension of Islam by all’. Really? Who says? However, as it turns out, many on this site have read the Koran, consulted Islamic scholars, and have spoken to many [former] adherents of Islam. As a result of this research, there is clearly- on the part of those who seek – a comprehension that Islam is a NEGATIVE force in the world today because of its belief system. If one follows Islam one is obliged to engage in Jihad. Or has that changed? Let us hope Australian Muslims are a tad lazy and that most of them don’t get so far in their study of Islam. We should encourage such laziness. For knowledge of Islam and engagement in it only brings conflict. Just look at the Muslim countries of the world. Are there any, which are free of conflict? Ask yourself. Why do Muslims leave Islamic countries in such large numbers? Could it be that the nature of Islamic societies, based on Islamic beliefs are inevitably conflict ridden? Could it possibly? Or is that the question that dare not be uttered?
And when it come to the last part of the quotation above, we get to the nub of the matter that should awaken all thinking people like a dose of smelling salts. Aha – now we understand ‘ there is evidently a current and urgent need for ‘positive comprehension of Islam by all’. Really? Who says? However, as it turns out, many on this site have read the Koran, consulted Islamic scholars, and have spoken to many [former] adherents of Islam. As a result of this research, there is clearly- on the part of those who seek – a comprehension that Islam is a NEGATIVE force in the world today because of its belief system. If one follows Islam one is obliged to engage in Jihad. Or has that changed? Let us hope Australian Muslims are a tad lazy and that most of them don’t get so far in their study of Islam. We should encourage such laziness. For knowledge of Islam and engagement in it only brings conflict. Just look at the Muslim countries of the world. Are there any, which are free of conflict? Ask yourself. Why do Muslims leave Islamic countries in such large numbers? Could it be that the nature of Islamic societies, based on Islamic beliefs are inevitably conflict ridden? Could it possibly? Or is that the question that dare not be uttered?
But of course there are answers to these question – ready to be delivered. Such as the following comment from Professor Jamil Farooqui who is billed as one of the ‘International’ speakers. This is the entry, which explains his talk.
Topic: ‘Anomalies of Muslim Societies’
“Muslims are weak, suppressed by others and down-trodden. They face numerous internal and external challenges. What are the strategies to overcome these challenges?” (source)So Muslims are poor little downtrodden Bambis? Suppressed too? Strange to hear that when I have met so many hundred of victims of Islamic violence in Islamic societies – Christians, Jews and adherents of other faiths. In one sense the heart-wrenching comment may be correct – in that Muslims seem to inflict so much violence on each other too that they are downtrodden in their own societies. NO wonder they run away from them and try to flee to any non-Islamic country that will take them. When the question is asked ‘What are the strategies to overcome these challenges’ I would like to propose a sober look at the Koran and its incitement to violence. I would like to hear that a modern day imam has abrogated he violent verses and that they no longer apply. I would like to hear that the child, woman and kaffir abuse advocated by the Koran no longer applies.
Meantime, I can only look in amazement at one of the entries. A Mr Cyrus Brooks who is Vice President of the Church of Scientology in Australia has come along with the brave topic, which I leave as a final thought for your consideration.
“Can Scientology help Islam and vice-versa?” (source)
Australians celebrate and revere Anzac Day on April 25th each year in remembrance of our brave soldiers who fought in two great world wars to secure our freedom. Every Australian identifies with the slogan “lest we forget” and in services held around the country people reflect on the battles and men who died to secure our freedom. Yet across the world in France, there is one remarkable battle which helped form the Europe we know today and allowed the development of civilization based on Judeo Christian principles. This one famous battle has become known as the battle of Tours and effectively stopped the Muslim advance into Europe. After the death of Mohammed in 632AD, Muslim armies exploded out of the Arabian peninsula to conquer much of the Middle East, expanding across north Africa. From there they crossed into Spain in 711AD and eventually controlled much of al-Andalus by 715AD. It was the victory at Tours by Charles Martel that stemmed the tide and eventually the Muslim marauders were expelled from Spain in 1492 when the last outpost at Granada fell to King Ferdinand of Spain. 
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was born, lived, fought and won battles against religious and social oppression in the 17th century Bharat or India. He was a shining star in the Indian firmament and is renowned as a champion of the downtrodden and depressed masses. He was and continues to be an icon for the classes and masses alike and is seen as a rallying point for peasants oppressed by foreign rulers, Pathans and Moghuls alike. Sexually exploited women found in Shivaji Raje a protector, a benefactor and flocked to his Hindavi Swaraj to find solace and feel liberated under his saffron flag. 
Perhaps some readers might be interested to know that January 28 is considered a feast day among Catholics – actually 2 feast days are celebrated on the same day – one is of ST Thomas Aquinas, the great medieval theologian and philosopher who adapted Aristotle to the western Judeo-Christian worldview. . It is also the feast day of a lesser known person – St Peter Nolasco, the great ransomer of captives from the Muslims.
How often in conversation with a Muslim, do they quote Spain as the crowning achievement of Islam, where Muslims, Jews and Christians lived in harmony for about 800 years?
Why do Muslims insist that Jerusalem is their Holy City?
There is a very strongly entrenched view among majority of Westerners today that the three main monotheistic religions Judaism, Christianity and Islam share one common God and therefore despite the obvious differences, the core foundation of these three religions is the same. 
