Christian bigotry in action

Pillar Baptist Church's Logan Robertson (L) and Brisbane Islamic leader 

Ali Kadri in an argument outside Darra mosque on Thursday.

ABC NEWS: ELLIE SIBSON

Three self-styled Christian "Baptists" have been charged after allegedly trespassing and verbally abusing worshippers at Brisbane mosques.

The trio face charges of public nuisance, entering a premises with intent and trespass, after the incidents at the Kuraby and Darra mosques on Wednesday and Thursday.

On Wednesday, they were accused of entering the Kuraby mosque and harassing worshippers inside, including teenage boys.

The following day, there were heated scenes outside the Darra mosque, when members from the Pillar Baptist Church confronted Islamic leaders.

Police asked the church members to leave, before seizing video equipment and mobile phones from the group.

The entire incident on Thursday was captured by local television crews.

The Islamic Council of Queensland's Ali Kadri was confronted by the church's pastor Logan Robertson.

Mr Kadri said: "I'm trying to talk to you in a nice manner, why are you responding in such an aggressive manner?"

Mr Robertson replied: "Because I hate the religion of Islam. I don't hate Muslims, I hate the religion."

"We're making a documentary about your false religion. That's what we are trying to do."

The Pillar Baptist Church is not affiliated with the Queensland Baptists or Australian Baptist Ministries.

Acting Superintendent Craig Morrow confirmed the church's pastor was among those charged.

He said it was possible more charges could be laid.

"Investigations are still ongoing. There's a lot of video material and recorded CCTV we need to go through and inquiries we need to make," he said.

"Every person has the right to express their views, but the matter in which they've gone about that is not acceptable."

"We hope by taking action quickly like we have, and assuring the community that we won't tolerate this behaviour that this will be a deterrent in itself."

Another of the men charged is 29-year-old Steven Albany.

Acting Superintendent Morrow said the trio was arrested after searches were conducted at properties in the Bellbird Park, Redbank and the greater Brisbane area.

The group is due to face the Holland Park Magistrates Court on July 25.

POSTED ABOUT 3 HOURS AGO

Editor's note:  Readers will note that the Baptists appear to be of the fundamentalist variety and the not mainstream variety  which is the majority in australia. if the pictures are an accurate depiction of the state of the church buildings, they certainly don't indicate prosperity as opposed to the signage and landscaping of the kuraby mosque

QUEENSLAND BAPTISTS - THE MAINSTREAM BAPTIST ORGANISATION IN AUSTRALIA- responded and that response can be seen here.  seems to the editor that, as well as trying to spread hate and bigotry, the leader at pillar baptist church is trying to make a name for himself and it is  not a good and reputable name.

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Anglican Parish of Gosford

2 hrs · 

Our hearts go out to the good people of the mosques in Kuraby and Oxley who suffered from 'christian' extremists. We stand with you.
We condemn all such acts of spiritual violence but especially those perpetrated in the name of Christ. We call upon the denominational authorities of these particular individuals to act clearly and decisively in making sure this does not happen again.

Sadly once again in the lack of reporting around this event the media have shown their white, western, 'christian' bias.
Shameful!
Fr Rod.

COURIERMAIL.COM.AU

Nuisance charges over mosque actions

TWO men have been charged following incidents at mosques in Kuraby and Oxley this week.

German politics and the Christian cross

Crosses on chains are offered in a devotional objects shop 

in Munich, southern Germany, on June 1, 2018. (AFP)

The government of Bavaria has decided to instruct 

all state administrative buildings in the German state 

to display a cross in their public entrances by June 1.

A controversial decree requiring Christian crucifixes to be installed at entrances of most public buildings in Bavaria came into force on Friday, sparking accusations of identity politics ahead of elections in the southern German state.

Markus Soeder, Bavaria's conservative state premier, had initiated the measure in April, saying "the cross is a fundamental symbol of our Bavarian identity and way of life."

But the order sparked an outcry, with critics accusing Soeder of politicising a religious symbol as his CSU party battles to claw back voters who have turned to the far-right and Islamophobic AfD ahead of state election in October.

"Soeder has misused the cross for an election manoeuvre," the region's Social Democrat chief Natascha Kohnen told the Augsburger Allgemeine daily.

Soeder was also widely mocked, including by the state premier of neighbouring Baden-Wuerttemburg, Winfried Kretschmann, who said a photo of his Bavarian colleague holding the cross made him "think of a vampire film."

But among the harshest condemnations was that from Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the president of the German Bishops' Conference, who warned Soeder that "if the cross is viewed only as a cultural symbol, then it has not been understood."

"Then the cross is being expropriated by the state," said Marx in an interview with Sueddeutsche daily, adding that it must not be used as a tool to exclude.

Amid the push-back, Soeder's office had sought to tone down the decree, saying that while it was compulsory for buildings like police stations, courts or ministry offices, it was merely recommended for higher educational institutions, museums and theatres.

From here.

In defence of a progressive Muslim woman ... thank you Julia Baird

Yassmin Abdel-Magied left Australia after being hounded in the media and on social media for her comments on Australia Day. Photo: SBS

The article extracted below is by Julia Baird - well-known ABC broadcaster and feminist.

Blog Editor's note: The caption above in bold accompanied the photo of Ms Abdel-Magied. The Editor queries if this is correct and reference should be to Anzac Day, a rather sacred day on the Australian calendar.  Read more about the controversy here. In addition, you will find her TED talk on the head scarf at the same link.  Also please note, that the politicians mentioned in this article are on the conservative side of national politics in Australia.  Reference to Manus and Nauru relates to two islands outside Australia, the first is in Papua New Guinea and the second is an independent nation.  To many Australians - perhaps not a majority - Ms Abdel-Magied's statement would be seen as fair comment. Manus and Nauru are places outside Australia where Australia houses undocumented refugees.  Australia has a harsh "turn back the boats" policy.  Find out more here.

Twenty years ago, Les Murray wrote a poem about women getting roasted, one by one, on the greasy spit of Australian public life. It began:

"In Australia, a lone woman
is being crucified by the Press
at any given moment."
Cast out, he wrote,
"… she goes down, overwhelmed
in the feasting grins of pressmen
and Press women …"
Then, "After the feeding frenzy
Sometimes a ruefully balanced last lick
Precedes the next selection."

Not much has changed – though thanks to social media, the abuse is broader, more intense and intrusive, more sustained. Not so much a firing squad with timed attacks as constant assault by drone and sniper, air, land and sea.

In 1997, when Murray wrote his poem, it was Lindy Chamberlain, grieving mother who would not cry on cue. 

Please read the whole article here

Yet another Blog Editor's Note:

Why should there have been such an uproar

over Yasmin's statements?

Many Australians query the semi-religious sentiments

surrounding Anzac Day.

In 1958, Alan Seymour wrote a play, The One Day of the Year.

The play queried the manner of the celebration 

with intergenerational conflict and memory as its background.

The play was a huge success and is an Australian classic.

For consideration:

Why shouldn't people from other nations and cultural backgrounds

critique our traditions?

And will we not own up to our military misdeeds -

which, as in any conflict, do occur?