Webdiary - Founded and Inspired by Margo Kingston

Few Australian journalists have considered what role (if any) the Australian government may have played or at least what knowledge it may have had of the torture of Australian citizens at Guantanamo Bay.

Sadly, much broader community discussion is less nuanced, and seems intent on convincing us that any increase in manifest religiosity and/or political activism among Muslims must be dangerous.

Iemma is trying not to sound worried, declaring: "It is still a party at war with itself as you've seen from this week, and they've done nothing to stop the war." He might well be right. With Howard gone, the Libs no longer have a strong leader to keep Campbell and Photios from stabbing each other in the back.

There is something patently illiberal and unconservative about despising individuals due to factors beyond their control. To despise an individual due to the colour of their skin or their ethno-religious background requires a suspension of one’s reason. I always thought Liberals believed individuals should be given every opportunity to reach their full potential regardless of their background. All of which raises the question — is John Howard’s Party still a Liberal Party? And if it isn’t, who should real Liberals be voting for in the upcoming election?

"That grand force of theological irrelevance and political violence called al-Qaida are obviously getting desperate. Their pope Usama bin Ladin is probably still living it up (if you could call it that) in a cave. And thanks to Sheik Phillip bin Ruddock, Rev Usama can’t even receive those secret communiqués from his alleged Aussie understudy Jihad Jack anymore." Irfan Yusuf

"I have a very serious question for all you Margostanis out there. What is it about Aussie clerics that causes so much bunkum to emerge from their mouths?" Irfan Yusuf

"Easter is about Christ, a great man who saw the inherent worth of all human beings. Even tax collectors and sex workers and lepers, those whom the rest of society wrote off. Christ always made time for the saints of his time. If we want to be Christ-like, we should make time for the saints of our era." Irfan Yusuf

"During his recent visit to New Zealand, British Prime Minister Tony Blair spoke of climate change, closer bilateral relations and the strong historical ties between Britain and New Zealand. But not of Iraq. And who could blame him. Even when visiting Australia, a most willing partner in the Iraq expedition, both Blair and visiting US Secretary of State Rice faced anti-war protests." Irfan Yusuf

"In the current environment, with anything related to Islam being painted as violent and ugly, it is sometimes easier for those of us who don’t feel the urge to hate the faith and all its followers to presume every attack is part of some agenda. Conspiracies often make excellent self-fulfilling prophecies." Irfan Yusuf

"Rather than condemn media personalities, it is time for Aussie Mossies to talk with them face-to-face, to open up a dialogue with them in good faith. For this reason, I’ve decided to invite Alan Jones to join a select group of Australians of Muslim background as we share food for our stomachs as well as for thought." Irfan Yusuf

"Islamic theology is characterised by pluralism. Further, the exposure of sharia to other legal traditions has led to quite substantial changes in understanding of key legal concepts. Indeed, the existence of substantial Muslim minorities living in greater religious liberty in Western liberal democracies than in Muslim-majority states has led many Islamic scholars to argue that non-Muslim states are more Islamic than Muslim ones." Irfan Yusuf

"OK, all you Margostanis out there, listen up! I haven’t had time to work on a continuation of Sharia for Complete Bankers, but I am working on it. In the meantime, here are my allegedly halal thoughts on some issues making the press. Enjoy!" Irfan Yusuf

"If you wanted to be a top class European jurist, you had to study Arabic. You would then study the great works of Muslim jurists, philosophers and doctors. Much of what you studied had little to do with Islamic theology, but it was certainly studied through Spanish Muslim-coloured glasses." Irfan Yusuf

"Sharia is a concept that scares the shut (as they’d say in Otago) out of so many of us accustomed to living the good life in the lands of the free. Sharia conjures up a life with no privacy, where bearded morality police in long robes patrol the streets searching for spare limbs to amputate." Irfan Yusuf

"I seriously hope reading Van’s story doesn’t spoil your Valentines Day. Most of us find love in more conventional ways. But as Van’s story and Brokeback Mountain powerfully illustrate, unconventional love can be just as real even if the pressures of society and circumstance don’t allow it to be fully requited." Irfan Yusuf

"When you fight with the rels, it tends to be nasty. What makes it worse is that you often can’t help ending up feeling the pain you joyously inflict on them. It’s a bit like scratching your face to squash a mosquito sucking the blood from your cheek." Irfan Yusuf

"If you have lived in such a society all your life, it is easier to presume every other place is the same. It is therefore little wonder that so many Arab and Muslim groups are calling for such crazy things as a ban by governments on the publication of the cartoons." Irfan Yusuf

"That’s it. I’ve decided once and for all. In a show of Islamic solidarity, I will not drink at the Slip Inn. After all, a Danish newspaper published 12 nasty and offensive cartoons. As a result, I refuse to drink at a pub which has anything to do with Denmark." Irfan Yusuf

"I’ve been on some forums with Muslim “leaders” before. I remember a forum on Channel 9’s Today Show which took place some 20 days after the London bombing. I was on there with Sheik Fehmi, one of the few imams who can speak English. There was also a lady from the Muslim Women’s National Network of Australia (MWNNA) who sadly didn’t get much of a chance to speak. The rest of the crowd were an embarrassment." Irfan Yusuf

"If Australians think they are an open, multicultural and pluralistic society, they should understand that our multiculturalism is child's play compared to the multiculturalism we witness in this, the world's largest Muslim country." Irfan Yusuf

"This Sunday, I head for Indonesia with four others. We are part of a delegation from Australia participating in an exchange program arranged by those fabulous folk at the Australia-Indonesia Institute." Irfan Yusuf

"If Byron Bay locals thought they had it bad with visitors, they should spare a thought for the people of Mecca in central-western Saudi Arabia. Each year, over 5 million people visit this sacred Muslim city." Irfan Yusuf

"Of course, real conservatives realise that multiculturalism is the status quo. That explains why real conservatives, people like Jeff Kennett and Malcolm Fraser and John Hewson and Tim Fischer, don’t waste their time with the badly reconstructed Marxists and lefties that now seem to dominate allegedly conservative discourse." Irfan Yusuf

"Industrial lawyers will be smiling from ear to ear now that the IR laws have passed through. I know I am. I can't wait to cash in on all those small businesses out there who could face a raft of negotiations and claims for "unlawful termination".Sydney is full of industrial lawyers who used to be personal injury lawyers. Personal injury and workers compensation used to be a bit of a club. Then Bob Carr, that great defender of the rights of poor struggling insurance executives, decided that workers and people injured in car accidents should get next to nothing. So a whole bunch of personal injury lawyers suddenly had little or no work to do. Well, not now. John Howard is handing out fists full of dollars at $4,000 a piece. That will give many workers at least 10 hours (and if they come to me, 20 hours) of lawyer's time to cause havoc to all those employers with less than 100 punters on the books." Irfan Yusuf

"Indeed, the almost exclusively middle-aged male migrant leaders have virtually no understanding of what it is like to grow up in a not-so-Muslim environment and then take on a whole new faith and identity. Michelle has adopted the faith. Well, she tells us she has. And I have no reason to disbelieve her. Whether she continues to model g-strings for the next few years doesn’t change my assessment of her religious beliefs." Irfan Yusuf

"The MBS is the closest thing you get to Franklins spirituality. Except at this supermarket, you’ll find everything priced at David Jones prices. Almost everything pricelessly spiritual and other-worldly was available – at a price. I have never seen so many cheap Indian wall hangings on sale for so much. I discovered this year that at MBS, it pays to know how to speak Hindi. That way, I could understand the mantras and even chant a few of my own. Here's a sample of an exchange of mantras between me and one of the MBS resident gurus. Now I must warn you that your soul might get blown away by the subtle spiritual truths emanating from this sacred discourse …" Irfan Yusuf

"Nada's work as a Muslim activist since September 11 has, in her own words, been just "putting out one fire after another". She says many young Aussie-born Muslims are returning to their parents' and ancestors' faith as an act of defiance. Many of these people feel their heritage is being unfairly targeted, and in a true Aussie fashion are seeking to protect the underdog. Since September 11, more Muslims are feeling the heat. Comments made by certain politicians and media personalities are not helping in this regard. Nada resents the fact that only thick-Sheiks are being made accountable for their hate-speech but not certain tabloid columnists or Liberal backbenchers." Irfan Yusuf

"What has happened to my old factional colleague Bronwyn Bishop? She used to be such a solid citizen, a centre-right MP with good sense. I remember the days when she used to be committed to all her constituents regardless of their colour or faith ... So what has happened to this wonderful centre-right heroine? Why has she suddenly become so feral about Aussie Mossies? Which mossie bit her recently? Why does she insist Australians spray themselves with ethno-religious aerogard when it comes to Muslims?" Irfan Yusuf

"When I was in the Young Liberals, I used to publish a conservative magazine called pro-Action. Most of the contributors were small-“c” conservatives. But every now and then, I would allow some young big-“c” moron to have his say. I deliberately would not edit it. I left all the spelling and grammatical errors just as they were placed in the submitted piece. Why? Because I wanted to show my big-“C” opponents in the NSW Right of the Liberal Party just how stupid and infantile they were. And I wanted others to know as well. I think the Herald people apply the same formula with Miranda." Irfan Yusuf

"If you are content, why would you get so angry that you blow yourself and others up? Yes, there is plenty to be angry about. But the best way to deal with anger is to find the most appropriate and efficient way to oppose the injustice. Blowing yourself up doesn't give you much opportunity for involvement in future struggles." Irfan Yusuf