Alea iacta est

Holy Books, Batman!

Fear not! There's nothing to be concerned about with radical Islamists!

So sayeth Julia Irwin, Australian Parliament's very own apologist for Islamist terrorist groups.

For those of you aren't regular readers of Hansard (and let's face it, who really is), as far as I can see, Irwin's main purpose in parliament is to invoke Godwin's Law any time a member passes a motion expressing sympathy to Israeli victims of terrorism.

Anyhow, she's back in the news today ranting about this apparent "Climate of Fear" Australian Muslims are living in.

(I guess like the guy running the Halal butchery near where I live, who gives me a cheerful wave every Satuday).

Now don't you worry boys and gals, because Julia's got this whole terrorism thing beat. There's no need to worry at all? You know why?

MUSLIM extremists may use the Koran to justify their terror attacks, "but when it comes to good old-fashioned violence, the Judaeo-Christian God is hard to beat".

Stop there you ning! There's no such thing as a "Judaeo-Christian God". The Jewish and Christian ideas of God are as separate as the Islamic and Christian ones. Lumping them together puts us on the wrong fucking step to begin with.

Regardless...

NSW Labor MP Julia Irwin -- considered a serial offender on religious issues by her own party -- ignited a new controversy yesterday as she described devout Christians as "happy clappers" and said the Bible was more bloodthirsty than the Koran.

Attacking what she claims is a culture of fear faced by Muslims living in Australia, Ms Irwin, a Catholic convert, hit out at the violence of the Old Testament.

And that's the extent of her argument.

I kid ye fucking not.

Julia Irwin deep in thought after discovering the Bible has rude bits.

Here's her example:

Quoting from the Old Testament in the Bible, she drew attention to passages from referring to murders, massacres and God ordering Moses to "loot from their houses all their silver and clothing".

"And if that is not enough, the story continues as Moses ... is urged to hack women and children to death, rip unborn babies from their mother's womb and level the cities," she told parliament. "The virgins are taken at God's command for the pleasure of his holy warriors."

Stirring stuff, except....

1. It's the same God, you silly woman.
2. Moses (Musa) is also a Prophet of Islam.

So, all very interesting. Except all this rooly deep research on Irwin's part pretty much proves nothing.

Anyone with half a brain knows that the Bible (especially the Old Testament) is pretty much wall to wall with rape, incest, murder and God turning his anger against people collecting wood.

And hey, I can find pretty bad stuff in the Koran to. Here's some Catholic convert Irwin will enjoy:

• Christians will be burned in the Fire
• Allah will taunt Christians on the day of their doom, saying: "Where are My partners whom ye imagined?" (Actually, God says this twice. Just so we're all clear about it).
• Men are in charge of women, because Allah made men to be better than women.

So, pretty much both contain a lot of crap interspersed with a few gems. (Kind of like Tom Cruise movies)...

....but here's the thing...something which Irwin comes close to grasping, but as usual, completely and utterly misses the point.

The Bible and Koran are just books. That's all - bound pieces of paper with writing on them.

Books don't kill people. Left alone on shelves they pretty much just sit there.

They don't do anything. Not by themselves.

What does matter is what people do.

I hate to be trite, but here it is:

"Books don't kill people - People kill people."

Odd isn't it? Judaism and Christianity both have holy books filled with some of the most revolting violence but yet we don't see Judaeo-Christian terrorist groups running amok and murdering any person they can get their hands on.

But yet, there is a radical minority of Muslims who do.

It's not the fault of the book - it's just a book.

Can everyone see my point? It's not the Fundamentalism of Islamists that's the problem - it's the acts of terror with which they seek to spread this creed.

If radical Islam was the same as the "happy-clapper" fundamentalist Christians Irwin derides there wouldn't be a problem.

But there is.

And the "Pay not attention to the man behind the curtain!" attitude Irwin and others take towards this matter doesn't help anyone, least of all, Muslims, who mostly abhor this religious totalitarianism as much as anyone else.

So, in summary:

Me: Radical Islamists are a problem.
Irwin: OMIGOD! What about Hillsong!!!111 And the Bible IS ROOLY VIOLENT!!
Me: Ok, you're an idiot.

Posted by Quentin George at November 30, 2005 08:58 PM