Any support John Howard has on his frank and accurate statements about Muslim immigrants to Australia and their need to integrate is most welcome, though Costello’s support comes in terms whose vagueness may easily be exploited by the insincere apologist: Endorsing “basic values,” and denouncing “terrorism” without elaboration leaves plenty of room for lip service without action.
Also quite prominent in this article is the usual mantra that Islam has been “hijacked” by a Tiny Minority of Extremists, that “this is not the real Islam” — assuming without demanding or looking for proof.
From News.com.au: “Treasurer keeps up Muslim pressure.”
FEDERAL Treasurer Peter Costello says Australian Muslim leaders need to stand up and publicly denounce terrorism in all its forms.
Mr Costello has also backed calls by Prime Minister John Howard for Islamic migrants to learn English and adopt Australian values, warning quarrels of the old country should not be brought to Australia.
“I think the prime minister has a point that migrants who come to Australia are expected to speak English and endorse basic Australian values, and it’s going to be a problem for future generations if they don’t,” Mr Costello told the Nine Network.
“We have very, very successfully integrated people from all over the world in this country because we have had the attitude that when you come to Australia, whatever arguments you might have had in the old country we start again, and we start again with a common set of values and a common language.”
Mr Howard caused outrage in Australia’s Islamic community this week when he said Muslims needed to speak English and show respect to women.
Mr Costello today said there was a minority in the Islamic community that had been radicalised and was preying upon young people with dangerous ideologies.
It was important that moderate Islamic leaders speak out against the radicals and denounce terrorism in all its forms around the world, he said.
No apologist will get through a sentence denouncing “terrorism” without taking a potshot at US foreign policy, or Israel, attempting to deflect the focus from the doctrine of jihad, and of subjugating non-believers.
“This is where we really need the Islamic leadership of this country to stand up and contend unequivocally that terrorism, no matter who it is perpetrated by, to make it clear that terrorism is never justified, under the cover of religion and to make it clear to would be converts that when you join this religion, you do not join a radical political ideology,” Mr Costello said.
He said Australian Muslim leaders had to make it clear that terrorism had nothing to do with real Islam.
“You have seen under the cover of a radical form of Islam, terrorism being perpetrated,” Mr Costello said.
“You have seen it with September the 11th, you have seen it in Bali, you have seen it with the London bombings and it is very, very important that the leadership of Australia are very clear and very precise that this is not real Islam, that terrorism is always wrong and terrorism is always to be condemned no matter what religion they seek to use as a cover.”
Quaker terrorists, take note.