[StBernard] Let's hear it for Australia

[Westley Annis]

Editor's note:  This has been confirmed by Snopes.com.  Happened back in
2005 after the London Tube bombings.

<http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/australia.asp>

Challenge:  Find an American politician willing to say the same thing.

-----Original Message-----

	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.
	
	
	
	A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged
	loyalty to Australia and her Queen at a special meeting with Prime
Minister
	John Howard, he and his Ministers made it 
	clear that extremists would face a crackdown.
	
	Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard,
	hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country
if they
	did not accept that Australia was a secular state, and its laws were
made by
	parliament. "If those are not your values, if you want a country
which has
	Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you", he
said on
	national television.
	
	"I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two
	laws governing people in Australia: one the Australian law and
another the
	Islamic law, that is false. If you can't agree with parliamentary
law,
	independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have
the
	opportunity to go to another country, which practices it, perhaps,
then,
	that's a better option", Costello said.
	
	Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to
	leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked
to move to
	the 
	other country. Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told
	reporters that Muslims who did not want to accept local values
should "clear
	off. Basically people who don't want to be Australians, and who
don't want to
	live by Australian values and understand them, well then, they can
basically
	clear off", he said.
	
	Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on
	Wednesday by saying he 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." "However, the
dust from
	the attacks had barely settled when the 'politically correct' crowd
began
	complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending
others. I
	am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone
who is 
	seeking a better life by coming to Australia." "However,
	there are a few things that those who have recently come to our
country, and
	apparently some born here, need to understand." "This idea of
Australia being
	a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty
and our
	national identity. As Australians, we have our own culture, our own
society,
	our own language and our own lifestyle." "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 clea rly 
	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."
	
	"If the South ern Cross offends you, or you don't like " A
	Fair Go", then you should seriously consider a move to another part
of this
	planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change,
and we
	really don't care how you did things where you came from. By all
means, keep
	your culture, but do not force it on others.
	
	"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 adv antage 
	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."
	
	Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, American
	citizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voting the
same
	truths!!
	
	SEND THIS TO EVERYBODY YOU KNOW, IF YOU AGREE !!!