https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/30113854/muslim-party-launched-in-wake-of-paris/

The founder of a new Islamic political party insists it'll bring Australians together amid concerns it could drive a wedge between Muslims and non-Muslims.

Diaa Mohamed says his Australian Muslim Party is about giving Muslims a platform to express themselves.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said it was important everyone had a say but raised concerns about bringing religion into politics.

"I don't necessarily want to see religion being a lighting rod for people being for or against a particular party," he told reporters in Cairns.

"I don't think that is going to help the debate about inclusion and multiculturalism."

Mr Mohamed rejected claims a party based on religion is divisive, insisting people of all faiths are welcome to join.

"There's a lot of parties out there that are religion-based, so I think it's a non-issue," Mr Mohamed told AAP on Tuesday.

He's also defended his decision to launch days after the deadly Paris terrorist attacks, insisting it had been planned weeks ago.

He'd contemplated calling off the launch on the weekend but thought it would be "insincere" to move it.

"Unless you're blaming all Muslims directly for what happened ... then it shouldn't sound insensitive at all," he said.

Senior government figure Christopher Pyne doubted a religious-based party would be very successful, saying Australia was a "secular, pluralist society".

"People can launch whatever political parties they choose ... as long as they comply with the law," he said.

Mr Mohamed said major parties were concerned with pushing their own agendas and toeing the party line.

Jill Sheppard, lecturer at the Australian National University's school of politics and international relations, said the new party would counter the recent rise in anti-immigration parties like the Rise Up Australia Party.

"This redresses that imbalance a little bit - the very loud anti-immigration voices tend to get more attention than they deserve," she said.

It could also help young Muslims feel more engaged with the community and politics, she said.

The party needs 500 members before it can be officially registered.

It intends to submit candidates in every state in the hope of winning a Senate seat at the next federal election.

Geesus Maqqa, your title is rather a long stretch.

Jovial Monk wrote on Nov 18^th, 2015 at 10:47pm:

Geesus Maqqa, your title is rather a long stretch.

Jovial

I am going to call anyone from the left a racist and/or an Islamophobic every time they raise the issue

This is me serving up humble pie. This is the only way you diminish lefties demonising and flood discussions with name calling

Lets have a proper debate rather than demonising people because they don't agree with you

Should I call a truce with the left? Happy to

I think most people would be concerned, given the timing and the situation re terrorism.

But, I'll reserve my judgement until I have more facts (not propaganda) on which to base my decision.

I didn't see Shorten condemning the Christian Democrats for bringing religion into politics....Although I agree with his sentiment I fail to see why he only chose to comment on the Muslim Party???

:-? :-? :-?

philperth2010 wrote on Nov 18^th, 2015 at 10:58pm:

I didn't see Shorten condemning the Christian Democrats for bringing religion into politics....Although I agree with his sentiment I fail to see why he only chose to comment on the Muslim Party??? :-? :-? :-?

Which is why he's an Islamophobe

Maqqa wrote on Nov 19^th, 2015 at 12:04am:

philperth2010 wrote on Nov 18th, 2015 at 10:58pm: I didn't see Shorten condemning the Christian Democrats for bringing religion into politics....Although I agree with his sentiment I fail to see why he only chose to comment on the Muslim Party??? :-? :-? :-? Which is why he's an Islamophobe

I don't think so....I think he is an opportunist who would take advantage of a tragedy to score cheep political points....Much in the vein of Tony Abbott and John Howard....And you for that matter!!!

::) ::) ::)

Kat wrote on Nov 18^th, 2015 at 10:54pm:

I think most people would be concerned, given the timing and the situation re terrorism. But, I'll reserve my judgement until I have more facts (not propaganda) on which to base my decision.

The right have propaganda - not facts.

You'll be waiting an awful long time.

Kat wrote on Nov 18^th, 2015 at 10:54pm:

I think most people would be concerned, given the timing and the situation re terrorism. But, I'll reserve my judgement until I have more facts (not propaganda) on which to base my decision.

From the OP Kat!!!


Quote:

He's also defended his decision to launch days after the deadly Paris terrorist attacks, insisting it had been planned weeks ago. He'd contemplated calling off the launch on the weekend but thought it would be "insincere" to move it. "Unless you're blaming all Muslims directly for what happened ... then it shouldn't sound insensitive at all," he said.

:-? :-? :-?

So what, liberal party, CDP, family first, are not religious parties?  Someone tell their members.

philperth2010 wrote on Nov 19^th, 2015 at 12:41am:

Maqqa wrote on Nov 19th, 2015 at 12:04am: philperth2010 wrote on Nov 18th, 2015 at 10:58pm: I didn't see Shorten condemning the Christian Democrats for bringing religion into politics....Although I agree with his sentiment I fail to see why he only chose to comment on the Muslim Party??? :-? :-? :-? Which is why he's an Islamophobe I don't think so....I think he is an opportunist who would take advantage of a tragedy to score cheep political points....Much in the vein of Tony Abbott and John Howard....And you for that matter!!! ::) ::) ::)

AND loving it!!  ::) ::)

Not sure where I sit on this, but he raised no objections that I know of when Fred Nile established his Christian party in NSW parliament. Then again, the Church isn't carrying out suicide bombings and killing people indiscriminately, even those sitting helplessly in wheelchairs.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Nov 19^th, 2015 at 5:23am:

Not sure where I sit on this, but he raised no objections that I know of when Fred Nile established his Christian party in NSW parliament. Then again, the Church isn't carrying out suicide bombings and killing people indiscriminately, even those sitting helplessly in wheelchairs.

and there's the difference...

Islam is a way of life including Sharia Law..

everyone else fits into Australian law and the Australian way of life...

President Elect, The Mechanic wrote on Nov 19^th, 2015 at 5:33am:

Armchair_Politician wrote on Nov 19th, 2015 at 5:23am: Not sure where I sit on this, but he raised no objections that I know of when Fred Nile established his Christian party in NSW parliament. Then again, the Church isn't carrying out suicide bombings and killing people indiscriminately, even those sitting helplessly in wheelchairs. and there's the difference... Islam is a way of life including Sharia Law.. everyone else fits into Australian law and the Australian way of life...

well not everybody thats why our jails are full... ::) ::)

when it suits we judge the whole by the few .. yet we hate being judged the same way by others... :-[

its a sad fact we see others faults but not our own...

its time we stopped being so bloody judgemental..

that goes for all not just the few.. >:( >:(

Maqqa wrote on Nov 18^th, 2015 at 10:52pm:

Jovial Monk wrote on Nov 18th, 2015 at 10:47pm: Geesus Maqqa, your title is rather a long stretch. Jovial I am going to call anyone from the left a racist and/or an Islamophobic every time they raise the issue This is me serving up humble pie. This is the only way you diminish lefties demonising and flood discussions with name calling Lets have a proper debate rather than demonising people because they don't agree with you Should I call a truce with the left? Happy to

Moving away from reality doesn’t help.

A lot of the Right DOES demonise people, like the poor b*st*rds we have in our prison camps up north. In other words, the Right seems to be driven by xenophobia, no way to arrive at sensible policy.

Note I used prisons not concentration camps in the interest of moving to sensible debate.

Maqqa wrote on Nov 19^th, 2015 at 12:04am:

philperth2010 wrote on Nov 18th, 2015 at 10:58pm: I didn't see Shorten condemning the Christian Democrats for bringing religion into politics....Although I agree with his sentiment I fail to see why he only chose to comment on the Muslim Party??? :-? :-? :-? Which is why he's an Islamophobe

Maybe he was asked to comment on the Muslim Party but not the christian ones? I don’t think religion should mix with politics—we have way too many somewhat extremist Catholics in the government now, and look what they have done to science! This hasn’t changed with Mal booting the thug.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Nov 19^th, 2015 at 5:23am:

but he raised no objections that I know of when Fred Nile established his Christian party in NSW parliament.

CDP was first formed in 1977 and known as 'The Call to Australia' Party. It changed it's name to Christian Democrat Party in Nov. 1997 ... Shorten first joined politics 10 years later.

You have no friggen idea do you?

John Smith wrote on Nov 19^th, 2015 at 7:48am:

Armchair_Politician wrote on Nov 19th, 2015 at 5:23am: but he raised no objections that I know of when Fred Nile established his Christian party in NSW parliament. CDP was first formed in 1977 and known as 'The Call to Australia' Party. It changed it's name to Christian Democrat Party in Nov. 1997 ... Shorten first joined politics 10 years later. You have no friggen idea do you?

No, you don't have any idea. I'm referring to it being openly called a religious party. Duh!

Kat wrote on Nov 18^th, 2015 at 10:54pm:

I think most people would be concerned, given the timing and the situation re terrorism. But, I'll reserve my judgement until I have more facts (not propaganda) on which to base my decision.

You mean you'll wait to see where the preferences go

bogarde73 wrote on Nov 19^th, 2015 at 9:08am:

Kat wrote on Nov 18th, 2015 at 10:54pm: I think most people would be concerned, given the timing and the situation re terrorism. But, I'll reserve my judgement until I have more facts (not propaganda) on which to base my decision. You mean you'll wait to see where the preferences go

No.

If I'd meant that I'd have said so.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Nov 19^th, 2015 at 8:59am:

John Smith wrote on Nov 19th, 2015 at 7:48am: Armchair_Politician wrote on Nov 19th, 2015 at 5:23am: but he raised no objections that I know of when Fred Nile established his Christian party in NSW parliament. CDP was first formed in 1977 and known as 'The Call to Australia' Party. It changed it's name to Christian Democrat Party in Nov. 1997 ... Shorten first joined politics 10 years later. You have no friggen idea do you? No, you don't have any idea. I'm referring to it being openly called a religious party. Duh!

10 yrs before Shorten was ever in politics you idiot

"I don't necessarily want to see religion being a lighting rod for people being for or against a particular party," he told reporters in Cairns.

"I don't think that is going to help the debate about inclusion and multiculturalism."


this is what Shorten said, it's a general statement talking about religion in politics. It doesn't rule any religion in or out. As Monk said, before calling him Islamophobic you'd first need to know the question he was asked.

Quote:

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said it was important everyone had a say but raised concerns about bringing religion into politics.

The left/Labour/Greens will be miffed,      ...by the emergence of this Australian Muslim Party.

Because the left/Labour/Greens assumed that it was THEY,      .....who had the moslem vote in Australia, all sewn up.

They probably thought that the moslem community would always be their social and political ally, in the Australian political scene.     ???

But that, was never ever, a true reflection, of the real agenda of members of the moslem community in Australia, who previously have had a loose alliance with, and have voted for left/Labour/Green parties.




.



The poor left/Labour/Greens,         ....so naive, so easily deceived.          :-[

The poor left/Labour/Greens,        .....so busy swimming in the machinations of their own policies of deceit and lies,       ....and now they suddenly find themselves, 'out of their depth', in trying to curry favour, among Australian moslem voters.

Face the truth.

In reality, members of the moslem community have absolutely no affinity with your [left/Labour/Greens] 'leftist' agendas.

Face the truth, left/Labour/Greens,     ....to the moslem, you are all filthy, stinking, morally corrupt infidels.

You are all simply 'useful idiots', to be used, and then discarded,     ....now that members of the moslem community have acquired the confidence to pursue their own political agenda in Australia.




It will be interesting to see just how 'ISLAMIC' leaning, the policies of the Australian Muslim Party will dare to be - in the present political climate towards ISLAM and ISLAMISTS, and the demands of moslems, generally.

John Smith wrote on Nov 19^th, 2015 at 9:41am:

Armchair_Politician wrote on Nov 19th, 2015 at 8:59am: John Smith wrote on Nov 19th, 2015 at 7:48am: Armchair_Politician wrote on Nov 19th, 2015 at 5:23am: but he raised no objections that I know of when Fred Nile established his Christian party in NSW parliament. CDP was first formed in 1977 and known as 'The Call to Australia' Party. It changed it's name to Christian Democrat Party in Nov. 1997 ... Shorten first joined politics 10 years later. You have no friggen idea do you? No, you don't have any idea. I'm referring to it being openly called a religious party. Duh! 10 yrs before Shorten was ever in politics you idiot

Who cares when it first became a political party? Why does he only care about religious parties now there's a Muslim one?