Posted on 02/23/2006 1:36:56 AM PST by Fair Go
ANYONE who believes Islamic sharia law can co-exist with Australian law should move to a country where they feel more comfortable, Treasurer Peter Costello said today.
All Australian citizens must adhere to the framework in society which maintains tolerance and protects the rights and liberties of all, he said. It is a pre-condition for citizenship of Australia.
Mr Costello was giving a speech on the meaning of Australian citizenship to the Sydney Institute.
"There is one law we are all expected to abide by," Mr Costello said.
"It is the law enacted by the Parliament under the Australian Constitution.
"If you can't accept that, then you don't accept the fundamentals of what Australia is and what it stands for."
Mr Costello, the son of a Methodist lay preacher and who was raised a Baptist, emphasised that Australia is a secular state under which the freedom of all religions is protected.
"But there is not a separate stream of law derived from religious sources that competes with or supplants Australian law in governing our civil society," he said.
"The source of our law is the democratically elected legislature.
"There are countries that apply religious or sharia law – Saudi Arabia and Iran come to mind.
"If a person wants to live under sharia law these are countries where they might feel at ease.
"But not Australia."
Mr Costello said there were some beliefs and values which were so central to Australian society that those who refused to accept them refused to accept the nature of Australian society.
"If someone cannot honestly make the citizenship pledge, they cannot honestly take out citizenship," he said.
"If they have taken it out already they should not be able to keep it where they have citizenship in some other country."
It was more difficult for those born in Australia or who had no dual citizenship, Mr Costello said.
"In these cases, we have on our hands citizens who are apparently so alienated that they do not support what their country stands for," he said.
"Such alienation could become a threat to the rights and liberties of others.
"And so it is important to explain our values, explain why they are important and engage leadership they respect to assist us in this process.
"Ultimately, however, it is important that they know that there is only one law and it is going to be enforced whether they acknowledge its legitimacy or not."
Following is an example I fround from 2004. I know other religions do practice and apply church law through their own courts which go way beyond counseling or the kind of mediation you seem to suggest.
After a four-day trial, the Ecclesiastical Court of the Diocese of Lexington unanimously found the Rev. Christopher Platt guilty of embezzlement and conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy, as charged in the presentment of the Standing Committee of the diocese under canon IV.1.1.(A)and J of the canons of the Episcopal Church. Transactions totaling more that $48,000 were at issue in the case.
Presiding Judge Mann Valentine announced that a sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 10, 2004 at 10 a.m. in the Tilford Room of Christ Church Cathedral. The court’s recommendation will be given to Bishop Stacy Sauls. It is his obligation to impose the discipline, which could be a reprimand, suspension or deposition.
The charges stemmed from a presentment filed against Platt, former canon to the ordinary, administrator for the diocese, and chaplain at St. Augustine’s Chapel at the University of Kentucky, after discrepancies in records for the Bishop’s Discretionary Fund, over which Platt was a signatory, were discovered as the books were reviewed following a change in administrative officer for the diocese. Accounts at St. Augustine’s Chapel, over which Platt was signatory , were subsequently reviewed with numerous transactions questioned for authorization and documentation.
Lexington ecclesiastical court returns guilty verdict against Platt
What I am looking for are parallel legal systems to which people turn to resolve issues they wish not to pursue in Civil or Criminal Courts. As you see, though voluntary, they do exist.
Only one? Lucky bastards.
> As you see, though voluntary, they do exist.
I obviously don't know the details of the case you cite, however, I don't believe from what I read that civil law was shut out. It appears that civil law was not involved. Both sides may have decided not to press charges in civil court and decided to pursue the course you mention. I can see why the accused would agree to that. I did not see where imprisonment was one of the outcomes. However, that is not the same as what the Muslims want (at least from what I have read about it).
Voluntary is not part of what they want. As you can see where ever it has been applied (such as Nigeria), it is enforced on believer and non-believer alike. That is not voluntary and should never be allowed in any Western country.
See also:
" Costello urges migrant loyalty," The Australian, February 24, 2006.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,18255181%5E2702,00.html
New Tagline gives credit to Alan Simpson of Wyoming.
Costello's remarks have attracted widespread support in Australia. The "Sydney Morning Herald" is perhaps the most left-leaning newspaper in the country and here 76% of readers approved Costello's remarks.
Thanks for the info re Costello's support in Oz.
My friend from Brisbane e-mailed me the "Australian" article this morning. We chat every day and she occasionally tells me about domestic developments in Australia. Interestingly, we once discussed the SMH very briefly. I read some really bizarre article of theirs and asked her about the SMH.
This is what she told me:
"Fairfax press. They also run Australian Financial Review.
Bedfellows of the govt-owned ABC. Main opponent is Murdoch- The Oz..."
Fascinating country. Most of us Yanks were never told about the Pensacola convoy, or about other important chapters in Australia's post-1941 history. Costello's remarks certainly deserve support.
Your friend's summation of the Australian media is spot on. However, the ABC program "Four Corners" did some good programs on terrorist activities in Australia and I must check the links as they are programs that are accessible over the internet.
It appears to us up top that Costello and PM Howard are on the same page, good on ya!
Thanks again. She likes some ABC programs, too.
There are some programs here, including one on terrorism, which could be of interest. I think it includes the same program on terrorism that I watched.
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/specials.htm
So the moose-limbs simply swarm in like we have seen minorities do in other countries until they are the majority and then they elect in whatever laws they want.
East L.A., South Africa and parts of Texas come to mind.
I had an uncle who served in the Middle East in World War 2. He was a machine gunner. He later went to New Guinea. I hope Australians never forget that Americans died in the thousands saving this part of the world. The rest of the world needs to remember that the US rebuilt Europe and Japan afer World War 2.
Exactly!
The left has much to answer for. People should read far and wide before they jump to dogmatic conclusions. Many don't get any further than Michael Moore. Anti-American propaganda is a source of inspiration and encouragement for the terrorists of this world.
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