THE MEANING OF OZ - All you need to know!

@Dutchy,

average cover is now 39 cm.

In answer to Dutchies query this lot should be here to stay but with global warming and all that you never really know.
I should clarify that the snow is up on the mountain not in my backyard.

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@msolga,

Oh no. Now conflict between Indian students & Lebanese youths in NSW! Shocked

:

Indians rally as suburb seethes:
http://www.smh.com.au/national/indians-rally-as-suburb-seethes-20090610-c2ei.html

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@msolga,

Interesting:

Let's not fight racism with more racism

Quote:

There are enough flu viruses creating paranoia and panic. We do not need any (anti) social viruses to be contagious, but such was the knee-jerk reaction to the news of the "Indian-Lebanese" incidents in Harris Park on Monday night. The last thing we need is copy-cat behaviour in Sydney after the attacks against Indian students in Melbourne....<cont>

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/lets-not-fight-racism-with-more-racism-20090610-c2ek.html?page=-1

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@msolga,

I have a friend who lives in this area - and he wasn't aware there's a problem.

Mind you - he's 6'5" and built like a brick outhouse. Perhaps trouble doesn't look for him, although funny situations do!

1 Reply

@margo,

I feel much the same about the troubles in Melbourne. Though admittedly I don't live in the western suburbs, or in the Springvale area, where most of the reported problems have been. But I do live in an area with many Indians, Lebanese, other middle eastern nationalities, Greeks, Italians, Vietnamese etc, etc, etc ... not a sign of any racial problems in this neighborhood at all. If I didn't read my daily paper, or listen to endless concerned folk discussing the problems on ABC radio talkback, I'd be completely oblivious. I'm still very surprised that such things have actually happened here.

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Quote:

ONE of Australia's major banks is planning to introduce "Muslim-friendly" loans that do not charge interest, to comply with Sharia law.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,27574,25632250-5006009,00.html

I wonder if the bank could do the CHRISTIAN thing and give everyone a fair deal.

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@Deckland,

And pigs will fly Deckland. A bank did the dirty on me as far back as 1970 and as you know a Leopard never changes his spots! I've been using a Credit Union ever since and never had anything to do with a bank to this day.

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@Deckland,

Quote:

ONE of Australia's major banks is planning to introduce "Muslim-friendly" loans that do not charge interest, to comply with Sharia law.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,27574,25632250-5006009,00.html

I wonder if the bank could do the CHRISTIAN thing and give everyone a fair deal.

From the link you provided:

Quote:

....Interest-free loans of up to $1000 will be available to help finance household items, such as washing machines and fridges.

The loans would also be available to non-Muslims. .....

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Hey ho, & the plot thickens! Someone really should make a TV series about all this criminal stuff! Wink

:

Judy Moran's house damaged by fire:
http://www.smh.com.au/national/judy-morans-house-damaged-by-fire-20090617-cgrh.html

1 Reply

@msolga,

In case you don't live in Melbourne, or you haven't been paying attention to the Oz media over the past couple of days ... the latest episode in the ongoing saga (just prior to her house being torched.) ..: Wink

:

Judy Moran charged over Moran murder

http://images.theage.com.au/2009/06/16/580652/judy-600x400.jpg

Judy Moran has lost two husbands and two sons in the Melbourne underworld war.

Underworld matriarch Judy Moran has been charged over the murder of her slain husband's brother.

Quote:

The flamboyant widow of Lewis Moran faced court tonight charged with being an accessory after the fact in the murder of her brother-in-law Desmond "Tuppence" Moran. Judy Moran allegedly dumped the getaway car used in the murder and walked back to her house when she was arrested by police last night, an out of session hearing was told. ...<cont>

http://www.theage.com.au/national/judy-moran-charged-over-moran-murder-20090616-cgh8.html

1 Reply

@msolga,

curiuoser and curiouser, said Alice.

1 Reply

@dlowan,

Yeah, it's wild & crazy stuff, alright, Deb! Personally, I think these folk watched too many episodes of The Sopranos! Razz

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@msolga,

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2009/06/17/1806TANDBERG_gallery__572x400.jpg

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@Dutchy,

Talk about sucking up to a particular group ....
Are the banks are discriminating between customers now ?

Quote:

As part of its commitment to supporting communities around Australia, NAB is proud to present the NAB Sheikh Fehmi El-Imam Scholarship. Designed to help strengthen the links between NAB and the Muslim community, the Scholarship will enable an undergraduate student to continue their post-graduate studies in finance and economics, here in Australia or at an overseas university.

A special feature of the Scholarship will be to encourage the development of Shariah-compliant financial products and services.

http://www.nab.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/nab/nab/home/about_us/4/1/1/7/6

1 Reply

@Deckland,

I'd be very interested in hearing a more detailed response of your own personal views on this, Deckland.

What do I think? I think the NAB has seen a "market opportunity" & is going for it!
I know (as a result of living in an area of high Muslim population in Melbourne) that there appears to be a problem with some sectors of the Muslim community, at least, to the "normal" conditions of bank loans in Oz. I'm not an expert on the subject, but I've observed a number of Muslim banking organisations spring up over recent years because of this. Seems to me that the NAB has observed the same thing & is going for its share of the Muslim market.
I also work in a school community with a high Muslim (Turkish & other) student & teacher population. (Which is a terrific place to work, btw! I really like it. ) I will ask them about this.

1 Reply

@msolga,

msolga, would you find it disturbing if a bank started offering loans, for example, to catholics?
They might say that anyone can apply, but your application will be vetted by a board of catholic holy people to see if the loan is suitable to them and for you. I wonder if an infidel ( a non muslim ) would be a suitable applicant as the nab loans will have to be cleared by QUOTE .. a Sharia Advisory Board to ensure they meet strict criteria before they can be made available to the public. END QUOTE This all might be above board, but this is the sort of thing that creates mistrust with the community at large. Maybe the bank could publish in detail what sharia law has to say about the loans and applicants and print a product information sheet. I would be very interested.

1 Reply

@Deckland,

Deckland, I believe banks already offer loans to Catholics! (Just kidding! Wink

)
About Sharia Law & the NAB, I honestly don't believe that anyone outside of the NAB will be dictating anything to the bank about who they can lend money to & under what circumstances. So long as the same loans are offered to the general public & there's no discrimination against anyone (on religious or other grounds) I really don't really see a problem. The NAB is hardly going to alienate anyone they can make a buck from, let's face it. Wink

Obviously I'm just speculating here, but I'd suspect that consulting a "Sharia Advisory Board to ensure they meet strict criteria" could have something to do with marketing tactics ... aimed at the Muslim community. I have no doubt that it would be a bit of a coup (& a great little earner! Wink

) to be the first Oz bank to have the official blessing of Muslim religious leaders! As a hardened cynic about our banks, I'd just naturally assume that any new strategy (such as this one) is aimed at making more $$$$ ... in this case from a particularly segment of the community which has till now resisted mainstream banking transactions because of religious beliefs. I'd be interested to hear what others here think, though ...

1 Reply

@msolga,

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2009/06/20/2106_jh_cartoon_gallery__563x400,0.jpg

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@Dutchy,

Dutchy wrote:

And pigs will fly Deckland. A bank did the dirty on me as far back as 1970 and as you know a Leopard never changes his spots! I've been using a Credit Union ever since and never had anything to do with a bank to this day.

Well Dutch, we can thank the banks for the predicament the world is in now.
I agree that credit unions are the way to go. Depositors owning their own bank.

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@msolga,

Can someone give me a brief overview of how you lend money to people without charging interest and still make money?

I have no issue (given what little I know about NAB's method) with them offering sharia lending. Particularly if it's open to anyone.

To those who don't no much about European history, for a long time the roman catholics followed semi-similar rules, although their variant was you couldn't be a money lender - but you could borrow money. It as a reaction to JC having a dummy spit in some temple where the ursurers plied their trade. Which is why Jewish enclaves popped up in commercial centres in Europe, so they could provide financial services to the good catholics, and then be despised for a) making money, b) Killing JC (somehow), c) not being catholic or even christian. Shakespeare's Shylock being the 'archetypal' jewish money lender.

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