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Nazis, conservative columnists and LNP MPs turned up at Dutch Islamophobe Geert Wilders’ noisy appearance in Sydney last night, reports Dr Benjamin Thomas Jones.
An MP whose intolerant views have landed him in hot water before, the climate change denying Central Queensland MP for Dawson, George Christensen, furtively found his way to Geert Wilders’ event in Sydney last night.
Around 50 noisy protesters turned up in Sydney’s south-west this evening to protest a speech by anti-Islam campaigner and Dutch politician Geert Wilders.
A sizable police presence kept the protesters well away from the Roma Function Centre in Liverpool, but they made their voice heard shouting:
“Muslims are welcome, racists are not.”
The protesters came mainly from the Socialist Alliance, but there were also representatives from Islamic groups and a small group of curious onlookers.
Around 500 people gathered to hear Wilders speak, including the Liberal National Party member for Dawson, George Christensen, Sydney Morning Herald columnist Paul Sheehan and the leader of the Christian Democrats, the Reverend Fred Nile.
Gathered also were a number of young skinheads dressed in neo-Nazi garb.
In his speech, Wilders repeated his public claims that Islam was “evil” and that the Prophet Muhammad was a “terrorist”, “war-lord” and “paedophile”.
Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, had been under pressure to deny Wilders a visa, but ultimately decided not to interfere.
Bowen stated:
“I have decided not to intervene to deny him a visa because I believe that our democracy is strong enough … [to] withstand the visit of a fringe commentator from the other side of the world.”
From the Liberal side, Tony Abbott claimed Wilders’ stance on Islam was “substantially” wrong.
West Australian Premier, Colin Barnett candidly said, “I don’t want him here”. The conservative Q Society of Australia, who hosted the Wilders tour, were unable to find a venue in Perth. Barnett, who had ruled out the use of government buildings, was happy to take credit for the eventual cancellation of the Perth speech.
Controversial Liberal Senator, Cory Bernardi, who has orchestrated an Australian version of the United States Tea Party, was quick to defend Wilders claiming:
“In such a tolerant and open society like Australia, why is it so difficult to accommodate a speaking tour by a member of the Dutch parliament who has a different perspective?”
Bernardi contrasted the visa difficulties faced by Wilders with the relative ease of Islamic speakers Taji Mustafa and Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, who are both on record making anti-Semitic remarks.
During the speech, Wilder’s justified his anti-Islamic stance, by noting the overt anti-Semitism expressed by many Islamic clerics. It was no small irony then that the member for Dawson was present to show his support. In the lead up to the 2010 election, concern was raised about anti-gay, anti-female and anti-Semitic comments Christensen had made, including the persistent accusation that “the Jews killed Christ”. Abbott dismissed the comments noting that everyone says some “colourful” things during their university days.
Wilders received a standing ovation for his speech, which included a warning that Australia was facing a “stealth jihad” and that immigration from Islamic countries must be stopped. He emphatically added that no more mosques should be built, to which the crowd cheered and applauded.
Wilders condemned both the major political parties in Australia for failing to support his right to free speech, but finished with a clear indication of where his preference was. He closed by stating he wanted to return in a couple of years to find a very different government, before joking that he would start his own party here if change does not occur.
37 Comments
According to reports from people there, there were about 120 protestors. And to make the point about where they came from, there were a range of groups including Socialist Alternative (www.sa.org.au) and anti-racists not associated with any political organisation.
I was there John. I took photos and videos. there is no way there was anything like that many unless they all came and left very quickly. I was out the front from around 6:10-7. During that time there were 50 max. I spoke to many in the crowd and almost all were from the Socialist Alliance though I am sure there were others also. I can only report it how I see it though.
BTJ
Big question about Abbott’s judgement, getting bigger.
He defended CHristensen and Bernardi; and ex GG Hollingsworth even after Howard had cooled towards him. And he insisted on providing a reference for Nestor, the former priest who was kicked out by the vatican after a child abuse case. Abbott supported Brough despite J Rares’ findings (maybe Abbott hasn’t bothered to read it yet. And of course he described one K Jackson as a hero.
There must be other examples.
abbott has used the term ‘colourful’ a couple of times now. i think it’s code for: “secretly i believe in everything you say, but am too afraid to come out and say it ‘cos i know it’ll lose me votes and people will know for sure i’m NOT a good bloke’.
[...] The “climate change denying” Central Queensland MP for Dawson, George Christensen, furti… [...]
As much as I despise rightwing racists, I despise religion even more, we in Australia don’t have the problem that Europeans have with backward thinking people whether they be muslim, christian or whatever,because of the islamification of Morrocco, a year in jail for sex outside marriage, thousands of children are abandoned every year, now the Spanish gov. have caved in to islamist demands. I typed in THE ISLAMISATION OF SPANISH JURISPRUDENCE, an eye opener and worrying trend
Not real impressed by the W.A Premier not allowing this clown the right to pedal histhoughts.
At this stage, Australia still has the right to free speech
As in other posts, people might realise I’ve got no time for religion, whatever brand of mumbo jumbo they espouse.
Do have some personal concerns with Islam though,
They’re the ones blowing us up , killing us , mutilation young women etc.
Perhaps I’ve been reading all the wrong doctrines. Could have sworn the Allatoyah said that we will all be destroyed when Islam rose. I’ve read similar things from other Arab leaders as well
cornlegend
“At this stage, Australia still has the right to free speech”
We don’t have that “right”. Never have had it, probably never will.
It is implied that we do, but nowhere in our constitution does it explicitly say we do have that right.
But there are laws that protect people against inciting hatred of people of differant background and religions,so there are laws..
got nothing against the people ,just the religious dogma they are indoctrinated by
I agree with you JoanG & cornlegend, & I find it a bit strange that the very people who are often so outspoken about the rights of people in a democracy to freedom of speech etc., become so violently opposed to those rights when someone like Geert Wilders speaks. It’s also a bit strange that Australia seemed to have no problem allowing some of the most extremist views of Taji Mustafa and Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais to be preached & spread in Australia in packed meetings, (without the attendees being harassed & abused either, mind you), yet we apparently want to shut down Geert Wilders from giving his speech. Their original planned meetings had to be cancelled, because Australia wouldn’t issue him a visa for so long.
It seems that the protesters don’t seem able to differentiate between what is race, & what is religion. I think all religion is often damaging to societies, although I’m sure they occasionally do some good works. But you’d have to be blind not to notice the ratio of harm fundamentalist Islam is causing around the world at present. Sure, we should be tolerant of different cultures & beliefs to a point, but we shouldn’t go around with blinkers on, and we certainly should never be banned from speaking the truth about anything. I have no idea what he spoke about – maybe it was hate speech – or maybe not. But I would hazard a guess that most of those expressing outrage about his very presence in Australia, haven’t heard his speech either. If we shut down people’s voices – even if they say things we’re not comfortable with, or don’t agree with – we will irrevocably damage our democracy.
Fran, There is basic distortion of what free speech was first understand to mean, and what it has now come to mean. Free Speech is originally that your voice hasn’t been pressured to speak with words that ar not your own (as in when being tortured, one’s speech is no longer free) with the rise of the neo-liberals free speech can be now all types of malice slander with ethical and moral duties dispensed with for political leverage and control.
The current debate about the right to “free speech” conveniently neglects to address the very large discrpencies and power imbalances of those who have access to public speaking and those who don’t. How often in the media do you see the face of the Islam of peace? very little. and here i suggest would be where Democracy is being damaged.
Wilders is in a position of power, and his voice can and will give support to the extremist views he espouses. Both the presence of the media and the neo-nazis give his cause oxygen rather than allow it to disappear. Why elevate the ideas of a white, european with openly racist male over the marginalised voices in this debate.
and to paraphrase you “you would have to be blind not to notice the ratio of harm free-market capitialism and neo liberal conservatism are causing around the world at present”
As too the claim about the protestors, well one – If you are so in favour of “free speech” then surely protest fits into your general catergory? How is it that the protestors voice are not legimate free speech? because they haven’t been sanctioned by the heircachial systems of power, perchance?
Lastly they didn’t need to hear his speech, they already know what it will contain.
There is tacit support for people like Wilders and Monkton coming out of the Liberal party, and other more extremist places, like the Murdoch empire. this is where we should direct our concern about the none to healthy state of our democracy.
In essence I agree with Fran,we have in Australia allowed people into Australia with views to the far right and left and anything in between as long as they dont preach hate for any particular group of people they are allowed to hold meetings and tell people their views and it is only their view when it is all said and done
I do not mind if Geert really speaks from his heart and own convictions about Islam n Muslims. But if you notice his concern is not Islam, his concern is any body raising their voice against the jews, rightly or wrongly as u can observe his persistent repeated reference to the alleged anti-semitism.
The problem is he is a jewish zionist Hasbarat i.e. agent for the Zionist Propaganda Machine; while the common jews are just fair n dinkum good guys like the common christians or muslims, the zionists (both christian and jewish) are waging a war against Islam which they believe inspired the Palestinian (muslims) to raise their voice against zionist Israeli atrocities
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeLs6C2hYC8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MgSUnq7_5Y
And who says we have a right of free speech in Australia? We do not have a constitutional Bill of Rights to provide right of free speech. Also right of free speech is not a right to spread hatred. And if you still believe in right of free speech, just try to speak about holocaust revisionist history and expect ASIO banging on your door. Why else do you think David Irving is being refused entry to Australia
http://www.fpp.co.uk/Australia/index.html
Freedom of Speech: APPLICABLE ONLY WHEN IT APPLIES TO MUSLIM BASHING
Kimcarsons, the meanings & usage of words do change over time, but our language uses the meanings of the present day, not the past. That is why dictionaries like Macquarie Dictionary are continually being updated. Free speech means just that. If you stop it, you certainly won’t stop people’s thoughts & opinions; all you would do is to have it simmer without any outlet, much like a pressure cooker, which eventually could could spill over in some rather nasty ways. Freedom of speech enables discussion, & the challenge of ideas with alternating points of view, & corrections where necessary. It enables alternate points of view to be heard; not just the homogenous politically-correct ‘authorised’ viewpoint.
The argument about power imbalance is not really appropriate in this example, because Geert Wilders had exactly the same amount of ‘power’ (perhaps less), in the speech he gave, as did Taji Mustafa, of Hizb ut-Tahrir, (an extremist group banned in many countries), when he was giving his speech to a packed audience in 2012, calling for Australia to be under sharia law, a global caliphate, etc.
As for “the Islam of peace”, it’s a little hard to give that much credibility, when most of the asylum seekers coming to Australia these days are allegedly seeking escape from oppression under Islamic rule, & the majority of the world’s conflict at present, is due to the spread of Islam, & the barbaric ways people,(especially women), are treated under Islamic regimes. Perhaps some might find genital mutilation, child brides, the oppression of women, stoning female adulterers & women who have been raped, or forcing raped women to marry their abuser, suicide bombers, (where the perpetrator believes his god is going to reward him with a bunch of willing virgins in the afterlife for his vile, evil behaviour), the horrifically cruel ritual slaughter of animals, & so on; to be of such little consequence that they shouldn’t be reported on. But I think many others might disagree.
@Fran,
you nailed it !
great response
@Fran, it’s what we think we know about Islam as opposed to what actually may be the truth that disturbs me as a woman. Although I never “get” the headscarf thing especially in hot climates with the use of polyester fabrics and then there are the Malaysian University students in headscarf and very, very tight jeans. I only see it as an indication of religious superiority and men keeping women in their place, or is it necessary to keep women safe within their own community.
And yet I knew a Muslim, and the story is always different. My friend was Egyptian and Muslim by birth, but a school teacher and Australian by choice. He suffered racism, but bore it with great stoicism. When a mutual acquaintance who had given him a “hard time” died, I asked my friend it he was glad to see the back of him, my friends reaction was one of horror that I would think like that, as he said he wished no one ill. He developed a brain tumour and it was interesting to watch how the men of the Mosque took great care of him in fact relieving his family of the burden of hospital trips etc. When he eventually died his funeral was absolutely fascinating. There were at least 500 people there from all walks of life, the teaching profession, a solicitor that I knew well etc. Moslems? only a handful. He was buried in a regular casket and a week after he died to allow his brother to travel from Washington DC. The Eulogy was lovingly given by his brother-in-law, the descendent of boat people from another time, probably 150 years earlier. Then when the time came the Imam from the Mosque delivered the Committal, in Arabic, from the Quoran. I was a hughly moving experience and one I treasure in my life experience. I knew him as a gentle person and very respectful of women
ATTN: All Islamophobes
Dont get brainwahed by the Islamophobic propaganda spread by the zionist Hasbara operatives:
http://www.carlmedearis.com/free-stuff/10-myths-about-islam-and-muslims.php
http://maxblumenthal.com/2010/12/the-great-islamophobic-crusade/
http://www.rabbimaller.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCKWDarNdGw&feature=related
http://islam.about.com/od/commonmisconceptions/tp/myths.htm
ENJOY ……..
I too know, Egyptians,Iraqi’s etc, who are lovely people.
their religion isn’t.
A huge percentage of followers of the Koran poorly educated, tribal, and appear to follow,literally the horror bits of the Koran.
There is a great deal of evil in the Koran, and large numbers are extremist
p.s. I’m not just picking On the Koran, I despise all religions equally.
An equal opportunity atheist
I’ll give credence to your first two points, but the last has really the ideological blinkers on! The Majority of the world’s conflict caused by Islam????? Like western imperialism does not or has not ever existed??? with the U.S military bases now global (54 in Africa alone) intent on destabilizing government of all persuasions (some democratically elected) and installing puppet regime’s who are easy to corrupt with the lure of the almighty western religious form – the dollar.
Perhaps some might finding the wholesale looting of countries, the desecration of their museums, sold off and pawned on the black market, only to re-emerge at sothebys, for the sanctions of Iraq and the bloody war that privatises their industries, and results in a million deaths, for the economic tsunami’s that have ravaged Asia, for the Khmer Rouge that entered the vacuum after the illegial bombing operation by kissinger. For the Installing of Pinochet in Chile. For the toppling of the Iranian leader Mohammad Mosaddegh for his nationalisation of the oil wells in 1953,
for the ongoing UN led balkanisation of Syria, and Libya. For the neo-conservative vision of privatising sovereign countries under the false flag of freedom and democracy. For the Installing of Suharto in Indonesia. For the economic policies that are at the heart of environmental destruction.
the list goes on……..Radical Islam flourishes because of western economic and resource driven incursions and outright war.
And my Point about peaceful Islam and the media is rendered accurate by everything you trotted against Islam. All these albeit horrific and injust cruelties are happening in countries where Western forces have engaged in the plundering of resources, and the corruption of governments. So the western media focus on these crimes against Individuals hides the greater crime, that we in the west do not want to see because it serves our own resource hungry agendas not to.
The truth is most people of Islamic faith are peaceful people. Like most christian are peaceful people. And most people just want the normal everyday things that everyone else wants.
But this doesnt sell paper’s and it doesn’t serve the forces of global capitalism. We live in the axis of Fear and Control, and People like Wilders is CLEARLY in a different position of Power, because in the end, he is a white, male european member of parliament who is tacitly endorsed, Just like Pauline Hanson was Tacitly endorsed by John Howard.
Where do i go to remove the rose-coloured glasses we here in the west put on, to shroud us from the evils that are done in our name – For a start Pepe Escobar at Asia Times for Africom/Middle east/ and what he calls Globalstanism . Robert Fisk on the Middle East. Glenn Greenwald for global issues of civil liberty. Gideon Levy at Haraatz for the the Israel/Palestine conflict. David Harvey on economics. Steve Keen on economics. they can speak far more clearly on those issues than i can hope to so i’ll leave it at that.
and for an book on race relations in Australia i’d recommend Ghassan Hage’s – White Nation, fantasies of White Supremacy in a multicultural society….
kimcarson, yes certainly the Americans have a lot to answer for, so to the Brits through their world domination in the 19th century, I’m of the firm belief that every country has their day, America,( like England already has,) is gradually losing their world power this is why they are so worried about the rise of China, but none of this negates the fact that Muslim states have failed with their 7th century views,it has and always will hold them back,
This “Clash of Civilizations” nonsense really should
be examined.
It was an absurd notion eagerly seized upon by the G.W.Bush administration to explain Islamist terrorism
in simplistic terms.
It originates in the work of historian Henri Pirenne.
His 1936 book “Mohammed and Charlemagne,” presents a thesis that the
newly Islamic east deliberately shut off the emergent Christendom of Charlemagne.
This has for many years been regarded as “romantic” historiography, and has no currency in modern historical thought.
@JGhandi,
Islamophobia, defined as the “dread or hatred of Islam and therefore, [the] fear and dislike of all Muslims,” stating that it also refers to the practice of discriminating against Muslims by excluding them from the economic, social, and public life of the nation. The concept also encompasses the opinions that Islam has no values in common with other cultures, is inferior to the West and is a violent political ideology rather than a religion.
so, I would consider my self a CRITIC of Islam,a violent political ideology and Religion
very easy to brand someone as Islamophobic,
Its not that simple
It is good to see alot of levelheaded post,without the vitriol ,well done
JoanG, Indeed you are correct, there is no negation, rather there is correlative, there is a recto (western domination of global resources creating our hi tech industrial kleptocratic quasi democracies ) and verso (pre-industrial highly patriarchal and often brutal cultures, tribalism).
Each recto also has its own verso, and so on. each gift, a sacrifice. YEs, 7th Century views have certainly held them back, no doubt.
What i question though, is the natural right for western imperial doctrines to impose and naturalise their versions of democracy and capitalism, which are never in the interests of the nation-state or its people, but rather to open up new markets and continue the old tyranny of plunder.
Yes we have reached a relativized enlightenment in the West and i am grateful for that, but let us not forget at what cost, who receives the greatest rewards from this system, and who is thrown on scrapheap in order for us to have the standard of “civilisation” that we have.
[...] Dutch MP Geert Wilders' Perth gig cancelled Liberals and Nazis gather to support Geert Wilders | Independent Australia An MP whose intolerant views have landed him in hot water before, the climate change denying [...]
The link above is for White Pride World Wide
Now that IS a disgusting racist bunch of garbage
WEll balanced posting by a major portion of posts…
the greed of large western corporations is actually now working in the favour of impoverished countries by outscourcing jobs, we might complain about it, but it is doing wonders for countries in Africa, Asia, south America, Places with strong muslim beliefs like Afganistan will take generations to stop being exploited by multi-nationals,outscourcing is the way to go, but the countries have to change their work ethic, you can’t be stopping for prayers five times a day and expect to bring your country out of poverty. A marvellous book by peter diamantis & steven kotler called Abundance: the future is better than you think, they maintain that one mobile phone to a masai in Africa brings 100 more Africans out of poverty
Peter DIamantis is a techno-utopian & apologist for the consumer binge of the industrialized world, living in the fiction of expontial growth.
In the same interview on the Masai, makes the erroneous claim that food prices have have come down 13fold in the last 50years. predictably he doesn’t mention the impossible price of house and land, and the mass scale displacement of peoples off land that has part of their livelihood for 100′s of generations.
He commits his freudian slip talking about the 3billion people banging down the door of the INternet – and the first thing he said is “what are they going to consume, what are they going to desire…….’
Just like JoanG said America is reaching its end, well with that end, will be the beginning of the end of this massive consumer bubble we’ve been in.
“Abundance” is pure sci-fi Fanstasy, as redundant and dangerous as the idea that Human’s trajectory is too leave Earth and float out into the final frontier.
Geert, should say what he wants to as long as he does not incite hatred by lying of distorting the facts. I think we all should have the ability to express an honestly held opinion about religion, and, yes, different cultures. Of course, we should take it on the chin when people express an opinion about us and poke holes in our thinking.
The question is whether Gilders or other extremist can take it on the chin when we express an opinion about them and the groups they belong to.
In this country we have people throwing stones, like the scream radio hate jocks and huge sections of the MSM without letting people voice contrary opinions on anything or hurl the stones back. Whether it is tearing down the beyond stupid ravings of Lord ‘haw, haw’ Monckton or the sloganeering rants from Tony Abbott, or the hateful utterances of Bernardi et al, the MSM assist these by censoring any critical audience responses, and by failing to expose them for the hateful frauds they are. Why? Because the MSM have taken their side.
So far, we have the fifth estate (the social media) to fight back. Who knows, with Abbott in charge, we may yet witness an attempt to drown out the fifth estate much like the Iranian and Chinese governments are attempting to do today. I personally, do not believe in shutting people up unless they are lying to incite hatred. No use in making martyrs of them. But, there is no place in the public conversation for emotive lies, and there is no place in the mainstream media for biased self-imposed censorship to prevent a response.
While not having done an empirical study I have, anecdotally, noticed over the past two decades an increase in intolerance and mean spirited utterances about different cultures and religion in our mainstream media Not only in this country, but elsewhere in the so called civilised world. One would think that the world’s mainstream media would use its resources and ownership of the language (to use an Orwellian term) to enlighten us. Sadly, it does not. In this country it has clearly taken the side of hate mongers ever since John Howard subsumed the Pauline Hanson xenophobic mantras. Yes there is the MSM the odd spark of condemnation or look of disapproval at the likes of Gilders, but that odd spark does not mean a serious MSM challenge to their hateful and deceitful messages.
such negativity, if not abundance, what about Peter Singers better angels of our nature, surely you would have to agree the world is getting better, if not whats the point of it all
Um, what was the original topic?
I’d agree with Singer much more readily, who would never use such disengenous terms as abundance to describe the current state of things. the topic was Racism, which we have yes veered from. But my point is that underlying racial and religious tensions is always economic power, and we conveniently choose to forget this
btw the positive can’t exist in a vacuum. Its a dialectic. thats the way the world gets better, not by preaching feel good claims and expecting them to be taken up, but by the to and froing of ideas until the irregularities and insufficiencies are ironed out. the positive and the negative are merely referents along the way.
Na, the topic was actually not racism, but islamism
oops! actually meant Steven Pinker better angels of our nature, I always get peter Singer, Steven Pinker and Peter Slipper mixed up!!
Yes well we all make mistakes don’t we
Real intelligence needs continuity in the known in order to survive the future. The disconnect of this continuity by having your bum in the air five times a day retains one in a medieval time loop where there is no future ; only a continuation of the past.
Ah, yes, moderation in all things! The Known can never know the Unknown. Intelligence needs awareness in our daily lives; like air air in the lungs. interuptions to awareness by positioning one’s bum in the air five times a day and supplicating to the Unknown is hardly beneficial to the universal human consciousness; anymore than the repetitious mumbo jumbo of a High Mass.
[...] a Christian organisation called the Salt Shakers, whose website indicates they strongly support the political views of Geert Wilders. Two Christian anti-abortion lobby groups, the Family Council of Victoria and the Endeavour Forum, [...]
[...] a Christian organisation called the Salt Shakers, whose website indicates they strongly support the political views of Geert Wilders. Two Christian anti-abortion lobby groups, the Family Council of Victoria and the Endeavour Forum, [...]