Muslims told to Integrate or CLEAR OFF

Published on August 28, 2005 By Champas Socialist In Politics

Minister tells Muslims: accept Aussie values or 'clear off'

Federal Education Minister Dr Brendan Nelson says he will be meeting the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) to develop ways to teach so-called Australian values to Muslim school children.

But Dr Nelson says those who do not accept and teach Australian values should "clear off".

The Education Minister Brendan Nelson believes the best way teach the Australian way is in all schools including the 30 Islamic schools across the country.

He says there are nine key values:

BRENDAN NELSON: Responsibility, care for one another, tolerance, understanding, fair go, doing your best - the whole range of values, and over the top of it, I've superimposed Simpson and his donkey as an example of what's at the heart of our national sense of emerging identity.

Comments

dynamaso

on Aug 30, 2005

Maybe Dr Nelson could start by teaching some of these values to people like Bronwyn Bishop. Her suggestion that head dress be banned in schools is nothing short of ignorance on a massive scale.

Furry Canary

on Aug 30, 2005

'Her suggestion that head dress be banned in schools is nothing short of ignorance on a massive scale.'
I agree wholeheartedly. The depressing thing is that it didn't stop the French.

Champas Socialist

on Aug 30, 2005

Here here. I think that if we are talking the full Muslim dress, it may be more practical for that person to attend an Islamic school, but if we're just talking the hijab (headdress), then what's the big deal? So she wears a hat....oooh no!

More cartoons to come on this topic: in fact one relates to your idea dynamaso. Thanks Furry for your help in coming up with the idea for the Captn Cook cartoon. What did you think?

dynamaso

on Aug 31, 2005

Cool... I'm keen to see it when you're finished. Email it to me, if you like. My address is masonm@sesahs.nsw.gov.au

Cheers,

Maso

Furry Canary

on Aug 31, 2005

'Thanks Furry for your help in coming up with the idea for the Captn Cook cartoon. What did you think?'
Thank you Champas. I enjoyed it, and you took it significantly further than I had envisaged.

Personally, perhaps I would have used a little less text. I tend to the opinion that a point can be so much more powerful if one leaves the occasional ellipsis (...); ie. it is up to the reader to 'fill in the gaps' (missing words / thoughts / conclusions / implications). A bit like the appeal of some music (eg. the Police, Ry Cooder, Miles Davis, Brian Eno, dub) - often it's the gaps BETWEEN the notes that are the more significant moments. It can also have the bonus effect of making one's readers feel that they are being credited with sufficient intelligence to work one's point out for themselves.

There again, perhaps this is that old Pommie inclination to understatement breaking surface in me once again. Whatever, yes - glad you liked the idea, and a fine effort.

Champas Socialist

on Sep 01, 2005

Actually Furry, I wholeheartedly agree with your understatement views, but this is a constant balance for the comedian. I find the funniest people I know to be those who use understatement (although John Cleese is a good example of overstatement working just as well). But I found as an actor I had to make my jokes more explicit than what would work best with me because I was trying to reach a wider audience. It's tricky. You can beat people over the head with a joke so that everyone gets it, or you can use subtlety and only a few people laugh, but they laugh twice as hard. I actually changed my Bulldogs cartoon that I have now posted to suit what you suggest. See what you think.

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