Islam and Australian values
This is a list I am putting together of apparent conflicts between Islam and Australian values. It comes from this discussion:
http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1215058243
Islam differs from what most Australians typically think of as religion in that it doubles as a system of government. Muslims are commanded to live by the local laws if they are living in a non-Muslim state, but the mechanism for turning a non-Muslim state into a Muslim one is ambiguous. Hostility towards Islam is considered justification for conquest. Such hostility seems inevitable if a large group of people try to undermine our values and system of government.
- Theocracy: Islam requires establishment of theocracy. Democracy is forbidden. Muslims may elect a representative to implement Islamic law, but that representative has no mandate to implement anything other than Islamic law. Candidates are limited to the most learned Islamic Scholars. Islam even forbids the 'Islamic' party of Australia and forbids people from voting for it.
- Apostasy: The penalty for a Muslim who rejects Islam is death. Some Muslims think the death penalty is reserved for treasonous apostates only and that apostasy itself carries no penalty.
- Adultery: The penalty for adultery (extramarital sex) is death by stoning. Only the married participants are stoned to death.
- Fornication: The penalty for fornication (premarital sex) is 100 lashes. The penalty may be waived if the fornicators were not given the opportunity to marry before sex (eg because they couldn't afford it).
- Homosexuality: The penalty is the same as for adultery or fornication, depending on whether you are married. This would only take place once Australia became a theocracy. Very few gays would actually be executed because 'apparently' homosexuality simply disappears under Islam. That is, it is not driven underground by the death penalty, rather men just stop having sex with each other because they are Muslims. Four witnesses are necessary to secure a conviction and punishment.
- Age of consent: If there's grass on the wicket, it's time to play cricket. The penalty for sex with a prepubescent child is death by stoning.
- Polygamy: A man may have up to four wives. A woman may have only one husband. She only needs one, as he provides whatever she needs. A Muslim man may take a Jewish or Christian wife, but not an atheist one or one from a 'non-Abrahamic' religion. A Muslim woman may only marry a Muslim man.
- Music: Musical instruments are generally forbidden, as they are 'pure evil'. Some Muslims consider singing to be illegal, while others will accept singing and possibly instruments provided the message of the song is acceptable, and also depending on the occasion (eg a wedding).
- Alcohol: All intoxicants are forbidden.
- Clothing: A woman must cover everything except her face and hands. Her clothes must not be too tight fitting, in case her figure can be made out. Penalty????
- Theft: Penalty is getting your hand cut off, unless your circumstances compelled you to steal (eg to provide food for your family). Cleptomaniacs would get their hand cut off.
- Discrimination: All Muslims must serve in the military. A tax will be imposed on non-Mulims, unless they also serve. There can be Islamic courts for Muslims, Christian courts for Christians, Jewish courts for Jews etc. Criminals will not 'forum shop' for the most lenient court because they will fear the wrath of God.
I am still not sure how 'hard' Islam requires it's followers to 'lobby' for these changes. There appears to be some confusion on this issue.