Australia's Response to Extremists

Prime Minister Julia Gillard - 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, Gillard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying she 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.'

Old Regulator wrote:I can see where she is coming from and could possibly agree if it was widened to all immigrants including what are referred to as Ex Pats from this sceptred isle. We have discussed here and on RO if ‘integration’ or assimilation’ into an alien culture is the correct way to go.
On a local front I feel that, as I’m sure happens in Australia and elsewhere, the minority rule in so far that they, the minority of immigrants, get far more attention than the majority of immigrants.
As for her God reference I was under the apprehension that most believe in 1 God.

Hinch wrote:Being mindful of the appalling way Australia treats many of its own indigenous population - the aborigines, I question the credentials of their PM to address issues like this.

Over 225 years after the First Fleet, many of their own native population live under far worse conditions than some in the third world with virtually no access to healthcare or education.

If she wants to put Australians first, why not start off with the REAL ones?

past it wrote: I think Juulia Gillard went to Australia as an immigrant herself. Fortunately for her she was the right colour and religion. For a country that would not exist without immigration her speech contains a fair degree of hypocrisy. I would challenge her claim to only want English speakers. Have you heard how she speaks?

Charly wrote:I agree totally with what Julia Gillard said.
Its time someone in this country had the balls to say the same, oh I forgot, we're not allowed to mention it for fear of being called racist.

Being forthright isn't invariably racist. As this Topic's title, perhaps it could be seen more “in context.” Julia Gillard spoke days after violent demonstrations in Sydney in September last year, after public rioting there involving Muslims protesting against the creation of a You tube film in the USA, which was said to insult the Islamic prophet Mohammed.

The demonstrators became very aggressive and 400 were involved in physical confrontations with the police in a Sydney district. Eight were arrested and charged with public order offences and two police constables hospitalised. Further arrests-charges took place after video footage of the riots had been examined.

Julia Gillard had also commented 'What we saw in Sydney was not multiculturalism, but extremism.'


She has strongly refuted a right to Sharia Law there and stated the laws of Australia will apply to all of its residents. Such forthrightness could be seen as a rare political commodity.


At the time, some Muslim community leaders condemned the violence, as did politicians from all major political parties. However, fundamentalist Islamic pressure groups loudly condemned those who condemned the violence ... as being 'anti-Islamic'.

Last week, Ms Gillard, who went to Australia as a child from Wales, personally selected an Olympic gold medallist, Nova Peris, as Labour’s candidate for a safe seat in the Senate (upper house), putting her on course to become the first female Aboriginal politician in the federal parliament.

Her view and speeches on mysogamy in the Australian political field are definitely very blunt

Spartacus wrote:

past it wrote: I think Juulia Gillard went to Australia as an immigrant herself. Fortunately for her she was the right colour and religion. For a country that would not exist without immigration her speech contains a fair degree of hypocrisy. I would challenge her claim to only want English speakers. Have you heard how she speaks?

I don't think she only wants English speakers, Past It. She wants people to be able to converse in and understand it. That means learning the language if you do not already speak it. However you speak it is OK as long as you can.

I don't see where "colour" comes into the equation?

I was referring to the fact that she was not part of the Islamic, African or Asian ethnic groups.

Prudence Tempered wrote:I don't suppose that anyone is interested in the fact that the words in question have never been said by Julia Gillard. Nor had they been said by John Howard when they were attributed to him 5 years ago.

Prudence Tempered wrote:I don't suppose that anyone is interested in the fact that the words in question have never been said by Julia Gillard. Nor had they been said by John Howard when they were attributed to him 5 years ago.