Israel's Thriving Christians Affirm Their Closeness To The Jewish People

"In terms of the sheer scale of the hatreds and sectarian rivalries, we are witnessing something on the scale of horror of the European Thirty Years War.  It is the climax of a process grinding its way through the twentieth century – the effective extinction of Christianity from its birthplace."
Thus says historian Tom Holland.

"Copts are the new Jews," argues Lela Gilbert regarding the persecution of "the Sunday People" after "the Saturday People" in Egypt.



 "The global persecution of Christians is the unreported catastrophe of our time," asserts John L. Allen in a powerful new article in The Spectator (hat tip: reader and blogger Ian G)

And although Allen, who describes the horror facing Christians not only in the Middle East but in North Korea, for example, is no doubt right to point out that "anti-Christian violence is hardly limited to a ‘clash of civilisations’ between Christianity and Islam" it is undeniable that most of the persecution of and violence against Christians is perpetrated in the name of Islam.


Israel's enemies, of course, insist on laying the blame for the steady decline in Palestinian Christian numbers on the Israelis, and not on the true culprit, the intimidatory tactics of Islamic supremacists.


(See, for instance, here)

In Israel, by contrast, Christian numbers are rising, up from 154,000 in 2011 to 158,000 lat year. 

It's encouraging to learn from this report that at a conference in Jerusalem entitled “Israeli Christians: Breaking Free? The advent of an independent Christian voice in Israel” prominent Israeli Christians voiced support affirmed "their own identity apart from Arab Muslims, and their support for Israel, described themselves as "not Arabs" but "Christians who speak Arabic," and explained that "their history, culture, and heritage have been hijacked by Muslim Arabs in the region. They said they feel a closer affinity to Israel and the Jewish people, which their culture and religion originally derived from."
The report continues:

'“The Christian public wants to integrate into Israeli society, against the wishes of its old leadership. There are those who keep pushing us to the margins, keeping us the victims nationalism that is not our own, and of a conflict that has nothing to do with us,” said Father Gabriel Nadaf, a Greek Orthodox Priest and advocate for Christian enlistment in the Israel Defense Forces through the Israeli Christian Recruitment Forum, Israel Hayom reported.

Another theme at the conference was a reassertion of Christian identity in the region. Speakers blamed the Arab Invasions of the 7th century for gradually erasing their identity. A former Israeli Christian paratrooper, Lt. (ret) Shaadi Khalloul, said he has lobbied the Israeli government to recognize his community as Aramaic Christians, referring to the majority language spoken by Christians and Jews prior to the 7th century Arab invasion. Aramaic is still spoken by isolated communities today. Khalloul calls his group “B’nei Keyama,” which means “allies” in Aramaic.

“The typical Christian student thinks that he belongs to the Arab people and the Islamic nation, instead of speaking to the people with whom he truly shares his roots—the Jewish people, whose origins are in the Land of Israel,” Khalloul said.'

Amen to that.

"Alone, Frightened, & Struggling": The Jewish Remnant in Egypt (video)

Last week, columnist Jeffrey Goldberg wrote here of the visceral antisemitism that has Egypt's masses in its grip:

".... Anti-Semitism, the socialism of fools, is becoming the opiate of the Egyptian masses. And not just the masses. Egypt has never been notably philo-Semitic (just ask Moses), but today it’s entirely acceptable among the educated and creative classes there to demonize Jews and voice the most despicable anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Careerists know that even fleeting associations with Jews and Israelis could spell professional trouble.

The level of anti-Semitism in Egypt has consequences, of course, for Middle East peace and for the safety of Jews. But, importantly, it has consequences for the welfare of Egypt itself. The revolution that overthrew the country’s dictator, Hosni Mubarak, held great promise, but it also exposed the enormous challenges facing Egyptian politics and culture. And anti-Semitism, if nothing else, has always been a sign of a deeply damaged culture...."

This video underlines that antisemitism, and of the danger facing the pitiful Jewish remnant living in Egypt today, the last representatives of a once flourishing community.

Also suffering, of course, are the Christians of Egypt, as many news reports make clear. 

The Arab Israeli journalist Khaled Abu Toameh writes, at the end of an article that's well worth reading:

'In the past two years, tens of thousands of Christians have fled Egypt, mainly due to the rise of Muslim fundamentalists to power. Recurring attacks on Christian families and property and failure of the Egyptian authorities to employ a tougher policy against the fundamentalists have led many Christians to reach the conclusion that they have no future not only in Egypt, but in other Arab countries where radical Muslims are rising to power.

Christian fears are not unjustified. Muslim fanatics will continue to target Christians because they consider all non-Muslims "infidels." If the fanatics cannot tolerate moderate and secular Muslims, why should they be expected to accept those who belong to other faiths?

While the number of Christians in the Arab world continues to decline, Israel remains the only country in the Middle East where they feel safe and comfortable. That explains why Christians living in Israel have been appealing to Israel to open its borders to absorb their brothers who are fleeing from the Gaza Strip, Bethlehem, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt and Sudan.'

This clearly undermines a recent assertion by Jeremy Moodey, chief executive of the British NGO BibleLands (see here for its most recent statement regarding Israel) that:

"It is a Western conceit that all Arab Christian communities are persecuted minorities and need our help to save them from Islamic fundamentalism. Most Middle East Christians are deeply embedded in their societies, with roots which pre-date even the rise of Islam. Indeed, they are closer to the Oriental origins of Christianity than many Western Christians. They have lived peacefully with their Muslim neighbours for centuries. The Arab Spring has led to a resurgence of Islamism, but it is not inevitable that this will lead to persecution of religious minorities. The overtures of the new Muslim Brotherhood regime in Egypt to the country’s Coptic community are evidence that the new pluralism could benefit not harm the region’s Christians.

In a sense, it suits us Western Christians to see our co-religionists in the Middle East as ‘victims’. In this way we can live out, vicariously, our own fears of Islamic fundamentalism. But this is not how Middle East Christians always see themselves. Their rootedness in their communities means that they have always been outwardfacing, expressing their faith and relating to their Muslim neighbours through social action. They are living examples of “salt and light”, in the very land where Jesus used these powerful metaphors, and we Christians in the West should encourage them in this ministry.”

 To quote an old adage: None so blind as those who won't see.

Update: see my next post for more regarding BibleLands

Egypt's Persecuted Copts: The Slaughter & The Sorrow (video)

For the Coptic Christians in Egypt the so-called Arab Spring is the bleakest of mid-winters. It is impossible not to be moved by the persecution they continue to suffer, including the abduction and forcible conversion to Islam of  many of their daughters, and the terrible barbarities perpetrated against this people.

The recent scenes from Aswan province speak for themselves - some of the brutality is particularly ghastly.

There are a number of videos online.  Here is one of the most harrowing:

Hat tip: Vlad Tepes blog
See also here and here

Cruelty Continues Against Egypt's Copts

At a time when a poll indicates that 75% of Egyptians approve of the Muslim Brotherhood and only 36% favour maintaining the peace treaty with Israel (see http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=217883) comes the following disturbing account (hat tip Assad Elepty) of the latest outrage against Egypt's Copts.

Written by Mary Abdelmassih of the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA), it's entitled "Punishment of Egyptian Christians For Death of Two Muslims":


'After the death of two Muslims on April 18 sectarian violence broke out in the southern Egyptian town of Abu Qurqas El Balad, in Minya Governorate, 260 KM south of Cairo. One Christian Copt was killed, an old woman was thrown out of her second floor balcony and ten Copts were hospitalized. Coptic homes, shops, businesses, fields and livestock were plundered and torched.

Christians lived in terror, anticipating a blood bath on Friday, April 22 because Muslims as announced their intention to avenge the death of the two Muslims. Rumors spread throughout Abu Qurqas of many strangers and of trucks loaded with weapons coming into the village to carry out the threats during the Easter week. The terrorized Christian villagers sent pleas everywhere, asking for protection, even to Coptic groups in Europe and the U.S.

"Muslims threw my old mother out of the second floor balcony and torched my home," said Adel Abdulllah to Hazem Refaat of Free Copts advocacy. His business and home were torched and his father and three brothers were arrested on suspicion of killing the two Muslims.

Copt Eid Roshdy, was stabbed during the violence and later died in hospital.

According to Bishop Makarious twenty Coptic families had their homes and businesses looted by Muslims then torched, and their livestock was stolen. "One shop was only 50 meters away from the police station," he said. He also confirmed the story of the mother of Adel Abdullah who was thrown out of the second floor balcony.

Curfew was imposed in the village on Tuesday and Wednesday evening, from 7 PM until 6 AM to control the violence but various sources reported that looting and destruction of Coptic property continued after the curfew, even in the presence of the army and police.

According to the villagers a fight broke out on Monday, April 18 between the two Muslim families, Abdel-Kader and el-Gazzar which resulted in the death of two Muslims. Meanwhile an altercation took place in front of the villa of Coptic attorney Alaa Reda Roushdy between a minibus driver and passengers and the guards of the villa over a speed hump built in front of the residence, which the driver claimed was damaging busses. People congregated and the villa guards shot into the air to disperse the crowd. The Copts were accused of killing the two Muslims.

Bishop Makarious of Minya and Abu Qurqas said the first version of the story was the Muslims were killed during the fight between two Muslim families, then the story changed to accuse the Copts.

Ayad Shaban, a local villager told Al Karma TV the two Muslims were killed in the Eastern side of village where the majority of the Muslims live. "Then the story of the speed hump came and Muslims connected the two together and accused the Christians of the killing. There is no proof the Christians killed the Muslims." He added that relationship between Muslims and Christians are usually good and believes whoever created this story came from outside the village and incited the Muslims.

In retaliation, Muslims attacked and looted two tourist coffee shops belonging to attorney Roushdy. One coffee shop was turned into a mosque called the "Martyrs" and the second one was destroyed.

Next day during the funeral of the Muslims hundreds of Muslims from neighboring villages joined and notes were distributed among them saying the Christians were the culprit. After burying the dead the Muslim mob shouted for revenge for their two "martyrs" and attacked Christian homes while shouting "Allahu Akbar." (video shows Muslims looting Coptic property before torching it while chanting "Allahu Akbar." Army soldiers are seen passing through the looters).

Father Rofail of the Saints Church in Abu Qorqas said "It was terrible, the people who were in the funeral left and started shooting in the air and throwing Molotov cocktails at homes and fields belonging to Copts; some homes were demolished. Anything belonging to Christians was destroyed."

According to Coptic activist Nader Shoukry, fifteen Copts and eight Muslims have been detained for the murder of the two Muslims. No one has been detained for the attacks against the Copts. "None of the Muslims who looted and destroyed Coptic property was questioned," said Bishop Makarious. He added it was a miracle that the Copts were not harmed when their homes were torched. "They had to jump over the roofs of the neighboring houses to escape the flames. In one instance a wall had to be broken between two houses to get the people out as they could not escape otherwise." He criticized the police and the army for not bringing the situation under control. "We expected more from the police and army, but they were not impartial."

The new Governor of Minya appeared on Egyptian Hayat TV and said the incidents in Abu Qurqas El Balad was not sectarian but a fight over a speed hump which escalated, and denied the loss of property.

Security forces prevented TV stations from filming inside the village and Muslims also attempted to prevent Christians from filming, but many video clips have been uploaded to youtube (video showing Coptic homes after looting).

Coptic attorney Dr. Ihab Ramzy called on Copts who have had their property damaged or lost to file a complaint with the police in order for him to represents them for compensation. He said they had to name the assailants in their report, but this may be not be possible because the victims were threatened by Muslims not to mention their names.

Attorney Roushdy was arrested by the military two days ago and accused of provoking riots which led to the death and injury of citizens. Today the military ordered him to be detained for 15 days pending investigations.'
http://www.aina.org/news/2011042521399.htm

"The Most Persecuted People on Earth ... Christians"

That's how Canadian columnist and broadcaster Michael Coren (who says he's not interested in  being "politically correct") describes Christians in the introduction to his programme on the plight of Christians in the Islamic world.  Hat tip: reader Shirlee

Condemned to Death by the Sign of the Cross: the Continuing Nightmare of Egypt's Copts

I’ve received the following from an Australian Coptic Christian, Assad Elepty; my thoughts and sympathies are with him and his persecuted co-religionists:

It saddens me to report on yet another attack on innocent Christians in Egypt.

Whilst His Holiness Pope Shenouda III of the Coptic Church flew to the United States (on Sunday), to have a medical check-up and treatment, there is no doubt he will be dismayed to here of another attack on his Coptic children.At the same time the Mubarak regime has responded to “Pope Benedict XVI call on Egypt and other predominantly Muslim nations to do more to protect their Christian populations after a spate of recent violent episodes”. Rather than heed the plea from Pope Benedict, the Mubarak Government reacted by recalling its ambassador from the Vatican on Tuesday, “We will not allow any non-Egyptian party to intervene in our internal affairs under any pretext,” the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Authorities have captured the man responsible for killing one Egyptian Christian and injuring five others Christians on a northbound train in Upper Egypt. Security sources said the assailant had checked passengers for the green cross traditionally tattooed on the wrists of Coptic Christians in Egypt. After identifying several Copts, the culprit killed one of them and injured five others.
(http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/breaking-police-capture-gunman-who-killed-coptic-christian-train-upper-egypt)

The gunman, identified as Amer Ashour Abdelzaher, was an off-duty Muslim policeman who fired his service handgun at innocent civilians because they are Christians. An Interior Ministry statement said authorities had arrested the gunman, a Muslim, and were actively seeking a motive for the shooting. The gunman was on his way to work, boarded the train in Minya province, an area south of Cairo along the Nile that has a sizeable Christian population.

The Interior Ministry statement identified the victim as Fathy Said Ebeid, 71, and said the wounded included his wife, another man and three other women.

Word of the shooting quickly reignited the raw emotions of Egypt’s Coptic Christian population, still smoldering after the bombing of a Coptic Christian church less than two weeks ago that left 23 people dead and led to widespread protests and calls for security.

More than 200 shocked Copts converged outside a hospital where the wounded from the train were taken, and police dispersed them with tear gas, battens and threatened to fire rubber bullets at them. A Coptic bishop told AFP that the gunman, named by the ministry as Amer Ashur Abdel Zaher, had sought out Christians on board the train and shouted a Muslim slogan – Allahu Akbar (God is greatest) – as he opened fire.

The policeman, who was said to be on his way to work, boarded a stationary Cairo-bound train at Samalut, in the southern Minya province, and began shooting with his service weapon, the ministry said.

He killed Fathi Said Ebeid, aged 71, and wounded his 61-year-old wife.

Two of the others wounded were said to be in critical condition.

The policeman, who was not in uniform, got off the train after the attack and tried to flee but was arrested inside the station.

He was being questioned by the authorities to find out if he carried out the attack for religious reasons.

Bishop Morcos, who serves with the Coptic Church in Samalut, said he had spoken to witnesses after the shooting.

"This lunatic went up and down the coach looking for Christians," the bishop recounted what he was told. "Seeing a group of girls and women who were not wearing the (Islamic) veil, he took them for Christians and fired, shouting Allahu Akbar."

The attack comes after the deadly New Year's bombing in the northern city of Alexandria that drew international condemnation. No one has yet claimed responsibility for that attack, which came after threats to Egypt's Copts from the Al-Qaeda-linked group in Iraq that claimed a deadly October 31 attack on a Baghdad cathedral.

The group, the Islamic State of Iraq, said it would attack Copts if their church failed to release two women the group claimed were being held against their will after converting to Islam. President Hosni Mubarak has blamed "foreign hands" as being behind the incident, and authorities said a suicide bomber was responsible.

Copts make up at least 10 percent of Egypt's mostly Muslim population of 80 million people; have been repeatedly targeted and murdered.

While Egypt has been under tight security since the Alexandria bombing, the shooting was committed by a police officer entrusted with protecting the Copts.

As I said before whilst a lot of fan fare was made of the very brave Muslims that stood in solidarity with the Copts on Christmas Eve, sadly it only represent 0.01% of the Muslim population. The latest incident leaves no doubt that many in the mainstream Muslim community of Egypt despise the Christian Copts and harbour ill feeling towards them.Mubarak has lost control of Egypt. I anticipate the situation in Egypt will rapidly deteriorate. There is much speculation the Copts are been used as pawns to promote civil unrest in the lead up to the presidential elections ear marked for September 2011. The Egyptian community are opposed to the transition of power to Mubarak's youngest son Gamal. By all accounts Gamal is a decent well educated liberal-minded individual. The Muslim community do not want a person of his calibre.

Islamic Suppression and Humiliation of Egypt's Coptic Community Continues. Where are you Mubarak?‏

In a lecture in the USA earlier this year, Coptic Christian activist Magdi Khalil, who runs the Pennsylvania-based Middle East Forum, observed that 'enhancing the status of Copts in Egypt also serves Western, American and Jewish interests because Copts in Egypt are struggling to prevent the transformation of Egypt to an armed jihadist state that would be anti-Western and anti-Israel'. http://www.bikyamasr.com/wordpress/?p=10245
An ancient Christian presence in the Middle East, the Copts have produced, in modern times, such renowned figures as the distinguished cardiothoracic surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub, a household name in Britain.
The terrible persecution that the Copts are experiencing in Egypt from determined Islamists is heart-rending, and a salutory warning to us all. I do not intend to follow certain other bloggers down the path of mindlessly excoriating Muslims.  This is, first and foremost, a pro-Israel blog; it's not a Muslim-bashing one. However, like many people I'm deeply worried about the rise of militant Islam worldwide and its possible socio-political consequences, which is why I'm convinced that the Egyptian Copts might be considered the proverbial canaries in the mineshaft.

Below is a crosspost, with his kind permission, by the Australian Coptic Christian Assad Elepty.
It was originally posted at http://www.faithfreedom.org/articles/persecution-by-islam/islamic-suppression-and-humiliation-of-egypts-coptic-community-continues/
(I've added illustrations, not directly related to the specific subject of Assad Elepty's article, but these illustrations  –  like his strong language  –  are  indicative of the depth of despair of Coptic Christians towards their people's plight.)

In a sinister, provocative and vile act that further highlights the bigotry of the lawless land of Egypt under the rule of Mubarak, the Islamist swine converted a four-storey dwelling into a mosque directly opposite the Church of St Mary and St Michael in Talbiya. This is the same church that the Egyptian security force attacked in a military style offensive on 24 November resulting in the murder of four Copts by the Egyptian security force. A licence to kill and murder Copts.

The Giza Governorate in their pathetic discriminatory fashion did not raise an eye brow when the Islamists converted 'overnight' a house facing the church into a mosque. If you are wondering  –  no, the local governor did not send an army to treat the Islamists the same way they treated the Christians of Egypt. This new mosque proves beyond any doubt that the church was attacked because Islamic neighbours do not want a church in that area, despite there being one million Copts with no place of worship.

The new so-called ‘Ekhlass’ mosque was converted secretly Thursday evening when a cloth sign was hastily hung outside a four-storey house. It was then used on Friday morning, when over 3000 Muslims prayed there, despite the presence of a large mosque on the other side of the bridge, not far from the new mosque. Apparently the owner of the house, which is still under construction, donated it.

The governor under the Mubarak Regime did not say a word, and because they are Islamic swine, they did not need a permit the same way the Christians are forced to wait years for a presidential approval to build a mosque.

'Of course the new mosque did not have to get a building license, local council or state security permission, as is the case with churches', said Coptic activist Mark Ebeid.

This perverted act was designed to prevent the Coptic church ever been approved, due to the minimum distance required by law between a church and a mosque, Copts view this conversion of the house into a new mosque 'as a trick on the part of the government to make the completion and use of St. Mary’s Church an impossibility'.

'We are devastated', said a local Copt. 'This church cost the poor people 7 million Egyptian pounds, which we collected by having to go without a lot in our homes, and there comes the governor and state security, angry because we built a dome and destroy it, kill our children, leave others maimed and the rest in prison for a very long time.'

There is no doubt that Mubarak is a toothless tiger and allows this blatant discrimination to occur while he sleeps peacefully.

The radical bigoted Islamist dogs need to realise there is indeed a God. Whilst they perversely attack the Copts in every possible way under the false premise that they are untouchable, I warn them to be very careful, for the wrath of God has no boundaries. No one is beyond the reach of God and nothing will save you when God Almighty unleashes his vengeance upon you. 'Vengeance is mine' said the Lord.

President Mubarak, with the greatest of respect and sympathy we are aware that you have already felt the pain and anguish of losing a loved one, when your grandson passed away in May 2009. After having experienced such pain, how in God’s holy name can you allow a security force to inflict such pain on other families over the construction of a place of worship? (May God have mercy upon the soul of your grandson and grant him eternal peace.)

To add to the ridicule, pain, anguish and discrimination you sit by and allow the Islamists to convert a house in to a mosque?  Where is the equal treatment? Where is the security force enforcing the rule of law?

The world at large is witnessing the Islamists' abuse towards non-Muslims. While the Coptic Christians may appear weak and defenceless to the Islamists, beware: Jesus is their shepherd and guardian, and in his own time he will make Egypt aware of his benevolent existence. The Pharaoh treated Moses in the same way that your regime is treating the Christians, and we all know the end result of that belligerence. The world thought the Muslim Brotherhood were the greatest threat to non-Muslims, how wrong we were. Your regime and it its bigoted attitude towards non-Muslims is the venomous threat towards non-Muslims.

President Mubarak, Egypt has only 1,678 churches and over 77,674 mosques according to Rosa Alyoussef.

In addition, Egypt is the country with the most number of mosques in the entire world.

Are the Islamists that desperate to prevent the construction of a church, that they can circumvent laws and erect or convert a mosque at whim with no regard for laws and no action by your government?

The Egyptian Government is proving itself to be a disgraceful entity intent on annihilation of the Copts. The Copts do not fear you or your Islamic government. We fear God Almighty, and no one can circumvent God.

President Mubarak, Copts and Christians worldwide implore your immediate and personal intervention in this disgraceful and abusive conduct by your government officials. The ball is in your court. You are the leader and President, show some leadership and take control of the country that you have been entrusted with in your twilight years.

Church building in Egypt is still partly governed by the Haayoni Decree of 1856, when Egypt was under Ottoman rule. After gaining independence in 1922, Egypt abolished all laws except for the Hamayouni Decree, which required the permission of the king or the president to build a church. In addition, in 1934 the Interior Minister, Al-Ezaby Pacha, issued a decree that stipulated 10 conditions that must be met prior to issuance of a presidential decree permitting the construction of a church. The conditions include the requirement that the distance between a church and a mosque be not less than 100 metres and the approval of the neighbouring Muslim community. Additional considerations or conditions are the number of Christians in the area and whether or not the proposed church is near the Nile, public utility or a railway.

The new Coptic Church of St Mary and St. Michael, in Talbiya, Giza, was the scene on November 24 of security forces fire and using tear gas on women, children and youth who were present at the church, in order to halt construction of the church and demolish the building   (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihOc_eSeU1c&feature=player_embedded). The clashes between security and the Copts resulted in the death of three Coptic men from bullet wounds and a four year old child from a tear gas being thrown inside the chapel. More than 79 Copts were wounded, some severely, and 157 people including women and children, were all charged, with premeditated murder of a police officer, assaulting security officers, rioting, theft and destruction of public property” (AINA, 30 Nov. 2010)....

Our heartfelt appreciation to the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA) and Mary Abdelmassih for alerting the world to the disgraceful conduct of Islam towards the Copts.

Let the actions of Egypt serve as a warning to every non-Muslim Land in the world.

Beware of the perversion and abuse of Islam.

Maybe the entire world should ban any construction of any new mosques until such time Islamic countries like Egypt can prove they will treat non-Muslims equally and equitably, otherwise for the love of sanity, spare yourselves the pain and suppress Islam in your homelands.

To the USA, do not be fools, say absolutely NO to the ground zero mosque and wake up to yourselves.

Enough is enough, we are sick of the bull**** that Islam is a peaceful religion, who the hell are you kidding.

If any of you actually believe the crap we are been pedalled and actually think Islam is peaceful,
please go live in Egypt and get a reality check.

Mubarak, you run the show, the buck stops with you, exercise your authority and do something about it.

Sharia and the Lucky Country – a Sydney Copt from Egypt Speaks Out

In 1939, Dr Isaac Nachman Steinberg, representing the Geneva-based Freeland League for Jewish Territorial Colonisation, arrived in Australia to lobby policy-makers and opinion leaders on the possibility of establishing a large-scale Jewish autonomous settlement of refugees from Europe in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.  He received a great deal of support from people on both the left and the right of the political spectrum.  They  appreciated the argument that the north required populating and that the Jews’ need for refuge was Australia’s opportunity. The relevant state government, that of Western Australia, was sympathetic, but in 1944 the proposal was rejected by the federal government  – as a similar less ambitious one much earlier in the century had been – not owing to antisemitism, but because Australia's tradtional policy would tolerate no autonomous enclave in the country, no alternative weave in the woof of the national fabric.

Some seventy years on, following decades of a zestly-pursued and much-vaunted policy of multiculturalism, and the migration of significant numbers of Muslims to a country which, pre-war, had been almost homogeneously “British” in population and culture (the “White Australia” policy, which had its genesis in New South Wales in the 1880s as a result of fears over the “cheap labour” of Chinese immigrants, was enshrined in law when Australia became a federated nation in 1901 and only began to be abandoned in the 1960s) demands for sharia law are being heard.

At an anti-Israel demo in Melbourne

Former Prime Minister John Howard observed a few years ago when still in office that

“there is a small section of the Islamic population in Australia that, because of its remarks about jihad, remarks which indicate an extremist view, [present] a problem.

It is not a problem that we have ever faced with other immigrant communities who become easily absorbed by Australia's mainstream.

We want people when they come to Australia to adopt Australians' ways.

We don't ask them to forget the countries of their birth, we respect all religious points of view and people are entitled to practise them but there are certainly things that are not part of the Australian mainstream.

There is within some sections of the Islamic community an attitude towards women which is out of line with mainstream Australian society.

It needs to be dealt with by the broader community, including Islamic Australia. There is really not much point in pretending it doesn't exist."

However, a prominent barrister in the Australian state of Victoria, Peter Faris QC, has now argued that no such opt-out on the lines of that of Oklahoma, where voters recently endorsed a proposal to forbid state courts from considering or employing sharia and other foreign law codes, is possible in Victoria owing to the latter’s adoption of the Charter of Human Rights (hat tip: reader Shirlee).

‘In Victoria, the Charter of Human Rights actually permits the use of international laws and judgments in applying the charter,' explains Mr Faris.

'Section 14 of that charter provides for freedom of religion. The issue then arises, does this mean that Muslims are entitled to have Shariah law applied to them in the Victorian courts?

Obviously, Islam is a religion.  Less obvious, but more important is that, unlike Christianity, Islam is a complete religion governing every aspect of the believer's life, including law.

Shariah law is actually an integral part of the Islamic religious belief and, under the charter, must be protected and applied. Section 32(2) of the charter throws more light on the issue.

That subsection states: "International law and the judgments of domestic, foreign and international courts and tribunals relevant to a human right may be considered in interpreting a statutory provision."

It is important to understand that there are "courts and tribunals" applying Shariah law to the 1.6 billion Muslims in the Muslim world.

In addition to that, the Islamic world has its own Human Rights Covenants – Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam, 1990, which is intended to "serve as a general guidance for member states in the field of human rights".  In the Cairo Declaration, it is made clear that all human rights derive from the Koran.

For example: "There shall be no crime or punishment except as provided for in the Shariah" (Article 19(d)); "All the rights and freedoms stipulated in this declaration are subject to the Islamic Shariah" (Article 24); and "The Islamic Shariah is the only source of reference for the explanation or clarification of any of the articles of this Declaration" (Article 25).

These human rights must be fully respected. Australian Muslims deserve no less.

Decisions on Islamic human rights must be relevant in deciding whether Shariah law is applicable in Victoria.

Quite obviously, those Islamic decisions powerfully state that Shariah law must be applied. The Victorian courts must consider these decisions under the charter, thus it makes it very likely that, at some stage in the future, Shariah law will be applied.

Further, there is precedent in Victoria through courts that are for the exclusive use of a minority group, in this instance Aborigines (known in Victoria as Kooris).

As a matter of principle, there is no difference between special courts that are racially defined (Koori courts) to those which are religiously defined (Shariah courts).

In fact, the Muslims have a much stronger case because their devoutly held beliefs actually include a legal system (Shariah).

It is this sort of process that the Oklahoma citizens voted against. In Victoria it is too late.

(http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/charter-opens-door-to-sharia-law-recognition/story-e6frg8zx-1225964766903)

This has prompted an Egyptian-born Copt, now resident in Sydney, to make the following heartfelt and powerful response (I'm most grateful  to Ibby for giving me permission to reproduce his statement, and to Shirlee for bringing it to my attention):

Copts rallying in Washington earlier this year

“Whilst very happy to see Shariah is been raised in the public arena, I was extremely disturbed when I read the [Faris] article. It concerns me immensely that our government is seemingly oblivious to the venomous consequences of shariah.

For our governments irrespective of political affiliations to allow any form of Shariah law to creep into our legal system under any guise is a total dereliction of duty and betrayal of our constitution. I have written a few articles on shariah and have read the reports relating to the dire consequences and threats posed by shariah.

As you may be aware there are a number of countries that extensively exercise shariah to differing degrees under the pretext of a legal system. I find it difficult to fathom the actions of Victoria as Shariah in fact totally contradicts and ignores many elements of the charter of human rights.

I am disgusted Victoria has displayed a total lack of diligence, vigilance and allows shariah to challenge the fundamental principles our wonderful country is founded on. The Anzacs must be rolling in their graves, our traditions and values can never ever be compromised for any reason. The incompetence of the Victorian government will leave a legacy that will haunt future generations for decades. With a growing Islamic population demands will increase, allowing Muslims to bypass our legal system and allow a draconian barbaric Stone Age system to infiltrate our country.

I hold the view that there is no word that truly defines Islam.

To say it is a religion is a fallacy and an insult to the word “religion”. It is not a religion. The term “religion” has a generally accepted meaning. Most people consider religion as, “a faith system usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs in so far as it relates to the individuals spiritual and moral conduct”.

On that basis Islam is not a religion. Islam is an all encompassing ideology that includes religion as part of that Ideology. Islam has many tentacles; it is a totalitarian extremist system that includes military, social, legal, religious and political controls over every aspect of an individual private and public life. Religion is but one of the tentacles of Islam. Shariah is in fact the legal tentacle of Islam. As a result of the worldwide Islamic tsunami, the world is fast reaching a point where nations are losing their national identities, heritage, culture and foundations. Nations are increasingly been [being] referred to as Islamic and non-Islamic. Radical Islam is also a very loose term; fact is the text of Islam “Koran”, demands and imposes upon every Muslim a duty for “World wide domination, Islamisation and imposition of shariah law and installation of a caliph. The end result is the call for “Jihad”.

I would ask all our politicians the following:

How is it possible that Australia tolerates the introduction of any aspect of shariah law to run parallel in any form to any degree along with our laws?

How can Australia allow a system that fundamentally undermines our democratic system that guarantees freedom, liberty, and equality with in the confines of our laws?

What will Australia do when posed with the dilemma of a Muslim person refusing to be subjected or tried under shariah law?

How is it possible that Australia will allow for its citizens to be judged differently based on been Muslim or non-Muslim?

Does this not contradict the whole concept of our legal system one law for all citizens?

Why does the Australian Attorney General allow any legal system of any description to openly challenge the fundamental principals of our constitution and legal system?

What will the Attorney general propose to about the creeping shariah into the Victorian legal system? Who is guarding our laws and system??

Hopefully the slap in the face to the Victorian ALP in the last election will awaken those apathetic politicians.

More importantly, does this precedent pave the way for other religious denominations to demand the same rights?

It may be a very good idea for the Einsteins in our parliaments to look at Egypt and learn of the consequences of shariah and Islamisation. The Copts in Egypt have dwindled to 10% of the 80million population. The experiment of Islamisation has been performed and the results are dark and sinister. Egypt was 100% Christian, after the Arab Islamic invasion 1400 years ago the Copts have become the minority and are treated as second class citizens in their own home land. The Copts struggle daily for recognition and basic human rights such as construction of a church. It terrifies me that my homeland of Australia could one day suffer the same fate. (You may have heard about the attack on the Copts by the Egyptian security force 2 weeks ago. The security force ( an "army"), of 3000 men stormed a church, fired live ammunition, tear gas, rubber bullets, stole the church pews, stole the donation boxes, killed 4 people to date, arrested up to 1200 according to some reports all over an alleged "unauthorised use of a building and not build in accordance with building approvals.)

.... I would pray that our legal eagles, take up the concerns and force the A[ttorney] G[eneral] to address the same and protect our legal system.

Finally I consider that it is imperative that every Australian should be fully conversant and aware of the realms of shariah and its repressive abusive nature which is diametrically opposed to Australian civil liberties, with out this knowledge they will never be in a position to make an informed decision about shariah.'