first european muslim state?

Quote for thought from the above article:

French cynics like the prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, have spent the last two years scoffing at the Bush Doctrine: "Why, everyone knows Islam and democracy are incompatible. If so, that's less a problem for Iraq or Afghanistan than for France and Belgium."
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Lash wrote:

Quote for thought from the above article:

Why, everyone knows Islam and democracy are incompatible.

Lash, would you expand your comment? I'm interested in your view why you think this doesn't oblige to Turkey, which you favour to enter the EU?

For the more assy among us; it is easy to see how one would think the short response was to a post--and that same one may note that few posts are direct answers to the thread title.

Lash wrote:

You's have to ask DeVillipin and the liberals who keep making that statement.

DeVillipin, the French government and the French president are conservatives,
The liberals are in opposition.

Walter Hinteler wrote:

Lash wrote:

You's have to ask DeVillipin and the liberals who keep making that statement.

DeVillipin, the French government and the French president are conservatives,
The liberals are in opposition.

Good old Sarko, that left wing liberal!

Walter, to some Americans, the word "liberal" just means "foreigner who doesn't agree with the US" irrespective of that foreigner's political position. The word "liberal" has about 6 different proper meanings anyway.

Invincible ignorance is not considered a debility to political discourse and debate by American reactionaries . . . more's the pity . . .

Finally, a Country with a backbone!!


Get out if you want Sharia law, Australia tells Muslims

CANBERRA: 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 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 practises 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 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 they 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 spies monitoring the nation's mosques.

GOOD FOR YOU AUSSIES!!!

AMERICANS, BRITONS, CANADIANS...... ARE YOU LISTENING? and