Sudden concern for Muslim sensibilities is a cynical ploy to advance Nile's goals
Reader comment on item: Australian Cultural Conservative Relies on Muslims

Submitted by David (Australia), Jan 6, 2009 at 09:15

Fred Nile is an extreme cultural conservative, highly unrepresentative of the general population of Australia. He was elected to New South Wales Legislative Council, a house of review with limited powers, with a primary vote for his group of 4.42% in 2007. Election to the Council is via a complex proportional-representation system.

Most noted for his public pronouncements against homosexuality, in 2007 he called for a 10-year moratorium on Muslim immigration. In 2002 he argued for a ban on full body coverings such as the chador on the basis that they could be used to conceal bombs and the like.

His sudden concern for the sensibilities of Muslims is just a cynical attempt to take advantage of the fact that his and their interests coincide on the issue of topless bathing and public "modesty" in general. If anything, he's hoping to exploit a tendency to dhimmitude in the general population (presented as "tolerance"), to try to impose his prudish standards (relative to the Australian norm) on the general population. Since his original intention in calling for a moratorium on Muslim immigration was largely to shield Australia from its adverse consequences, and thus to some extent was a fight against dhimmitude, this latest action must be seen as a disgraceful, short-term and ultimately pointless attempt at political manipulation.

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