Why Muslim schools? What about the rest?
The News Review:
- Why Muslim schools? What about the rest?
- Home Grown: Cooks Inc.
- The benefits of China’s advance
- Islamic principal denounces terrorism
Why Muslim schools? What about the rest?
The Age – Aug 29, 2005
A similar self-fulfilling prophecy took place in Iraq: theUS-led war on terror helped globalise al-Qaeda and the war in Iraqinvited terrorists where none previously existed. Underpinning this ludicrous campaign is the question of whodefines Australian values. Why are we assuming that students inIslamic schools have less knowledge and experience with ournational identity than other Australians? After all, most studentsin question are home-grown and therefore cannot be told to clearoff. In the Government’s rhetoric about Australian values, they referto tolerance, respect, understanding, equality, freedom, justice,peace and democracy. Yet these exact values are already publishedin the vision statement of the Islamic schools websites, longbefore the summit proclaimed them. In a speech to the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils onApril 12, 2003, Howard declared that Australia practises theprinciples of equity, freedom, justice and harmony. I know thatthese values are precious to Australia’s Muslims…
I know thatthese values are precious to Australia’s Muslims. If he alreadyknows that, why are they now called into question?This unfounded campaign is barking up the wrong tree. If ournightmare is a repeat of the home-grown London bombings, we need toheed the advice of fact-based research rather than hysteria. In hisrecent book Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of SuicideTerrorism, US political scientist Robert Pape debunks the myththat links religion with terrorism. After studying 462 suicideterrorists worldwide between 1980 and 2003, he concludes that theirstrategic objective is to compel a modern democracy to withdrawmilitary forces from the territory that the terrorists view astheir homeland. He notes that with recent terrorists, it isAmerican policy that is underneath this, not Islamicfundamentalism. Ironically, terrorists too want some foreigners togo home.
Home Grown: Cooks Inc.
Mail Tribune – Aug 29, 2005
, has worked in the Rogue Valley since 1964. Owner: Gary and Jean CookAges: 53 and 76Address: 3116 Sunnyvale Drive, Central PointPhone number: 772-9484Number of employees: 5Advertisement EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one in a weekly series of profiles on locally owned and operated businesses in Southern Oregon. What do you do and how long have you been doing it? We provide portable toilet service for construction and weekend events — anywhere you need facilities where there aren’t any. We have conventional units for construction sites, sink stations and handicap units. We started a septic-tank pumping service also. We began in 1964 in Grants Pass and then moved over here in 1976.
The benefits of China’s advance
International Herald Tribune – Aug 29, 2005
It would be a mistake for Japan's politicians to pressure the Bank of Japan to combat deflationary pressures coming from China. Japan does need to arrest domestic deflation, mostly stemming from flaws in its banking system. Until there is enough demand for the yen that the central bank prints, Japanese deflation will be a home-grown issue. Besides, Japan's deflation, now well into its seventh year, is one of the only forces giving households a break from the astronomical prices that plague Japan's consumers. It has been like a stealth tax cut. What if the Ministry of Finance decided to devalue the yen to end deflation? Considering the myriad uncertainties surrounding Japan's election on Sept. 11, that risk can hardly be dismissed.
Islamic principal denounces terrorism
The Age – Aug 29, 2005
“As Muslims we strongly condemn all forms of terrorism, we donot support any act of violence, there is no justification for actsof violence against people. Her comments follow a meeting between Islamic leaders and MrHoward at Parliament House in Canberra last week in which the groupformally rejected terrorist acts. Australia’s Muslim schools will now have to denounce terrorismas part of a wider effort to stamp out home-grown extremism. Muslim communities also will be encouraged to train clericslocally, rather than seek them from overseas, to reinforceAustralian values of tolerance and harmony within Islamiccommunities. In an address at the western Sydney school, Mr Howard spokeabout Australian values of democratic traditions, such as freedomof speech and religion. He said the community, but particularly the Islamic community,had to work together to defeat terrorists. “We do face a long challenge to curb the evil of terrorism,” MrHoward said.