Re: Mosque plan irks church
I would like to share with the readers that the real issue is the building of a mosque, not the religion Islam.
Church leader Reverend Daniel Nalliah misquotes and misinterprets Islamic teachings without having any adequate knowledge and information of Islam and its teachings. Accusing a religion and hurting the feelings of its adherents — this is absolutely not the Australian way.
We’re living in a very peaceful and harmonious society. Instead of walls of hatred being erected we need peace to prevail, and for this to occur people of all faiths must join together. For peaceful co-existence in the community, it’s very important to promote peace, harmony, understanding respect and tolerance for each other’s beliefs, faith and places of worship.
The mosque, being a place of worship, is the need of a community and not a place to upset neighbours. Instead, it can build bridges to other groups in the community.
– Qamar D Khokhar, Dandenong
What has Islam and Muslims to do with ‘race’? There are Pakistani Christians, Hindus and Muslims, just as there are British Christians, Hindus and Muslims. Islam and Muslims have nothing to do with race or ethnicity. Am I a racist when I criticise certain practices of the Catholic church or Hinduism?
It seems we are only smeared as ‘racist’ when we criticise Islam. No doubt there’s a lot to criticise about certain Islamic practices and the divisive ways in which some Islamic community leaders and clerics seek to impose their constant grievances onto the rest of the community.
Where is my choice as ratepayer and taxpayer to not fund Islam-only causes such as curtains on public swimming pools or Muslim-only prayer rooms in public hospitals or Muslim-only washrooms in universities ? Where is my freedom from (Islamic) religion? Why do we allow this religious apartheid to divide our communities?
– Raoul Machal (via web)
Cr Wayne Smith needs to read the Koran, which is Islam’s guidebook and cannot be neglected or disobeyed. It is loaded with hate for all non-Muslims (infidels) and includes statements such as “Kill the infidel wherever you may find him”, and explicitly teaches that Christians and Jews are descended from monkeys and apes.
Another command comes in the Koran at 8:12 — “Your Lord inspired the angels with the message: I am with you. Give firmness to the Believers [i.e. Muslims]. I will terrorise the unbelievers [i.e. the rest of us] . Therefore smite them on their necks and every joint and incapacitate them. Strike off their heads and cut off each of their fingers and toes.”
The people of Dandenong realise this attitude is vastly different from the attitude promoted by churches. They follow the New Testament, which promotes “love” — for example, “Love your enemies” and “Do good to them that despitefully use you.”.
– Joe (via web)
Re: Dingley arterial: why bother with Cheltenham Road overpass?
The road is being built to freeway standard with provision to become an M-class road at an undefined point in the future. It is preferable to do as many grade separations now, compared with when the road is trafficked in the future and construction costs increase. I applaud the state government for increasing scope now to separate this road.
– Bill (via web)
Re: Dandenong ‘secret’ high-rise plans in limbo
Before the gum trees we had pin oaks, like the new trees, and the reason the pin oaks had to be pulled out was safety. They have surface roots that trip up the elderly and infirm.
– Fernside (via web)
We don’t want to look like Docklands or Harbour City. With increased housing comes a need to house extra cars and, while we are referred to as ‘the second city’, I hope that Dandenong can preserve some of its unique heritage like the Heritage Hill precinct, which would become overshadowed and choked from oversized development, pollution and increased traffic. I hope sense prevails.
– Cybilbutler (via web)
I would like to thank Greater Dandenong Council for voting against the proposed development at 30 MacPherson Street, Dandenong.
I find it worrisome that there are houses that need significant heritage protection afforded to them, namely three 90-year-old cottages in Scott Street that could be demolished to make way for dwellings and a cafe (Journal, 19/11/12). There are at least four other examples listed in the same story.
More work still needs to be done by the council to protect our streets from inappropriate development.
– Patsy Horne, Dandenong
Re: Church ‘ruined my career’
Good on you, Carmel Rafferty (Journal, 26/11/12) for speaking out against the predatory priests who prowled Holy Family parish, and thank you, current parish priest, Father Michael Shadbolt, for speaking out about the Catholic Church’s use of Holy Family as a “dumping ground” for predatory priests. I grew up in Doveton and was involved in parish activities, first as a primary school pupil and later as a leader in the youth club.
I count myself fortunate that I was never sexually assaulted, but I was spiritually and emotionally raped in ways that many of my generation accepted as the natural course of things. I remember wondering, even as a 12 year old, why some of the people assigned to teach us about the love of God exuded a palpable aura of malevolence. Of course, gut feelings were worthless in the face of blind faith, and our parents seldom believed us when we told them about some of the cruel punishments meted out in the name of discipline and obedience.
Fortunately, times have changed, and the truth is now bubbling to the surface as it inevitably must. I was highly suspicious of one priest in particular, and while I could never prove anything at the time, that person went on to be convicted as a sexual predator.
I wonder if the terms of reference of the national royal commission will be broad enough to allow testimony from people such as myself, who suspected foul play but could never prove it.
Legally, what I have to say is likely to be labelled “trivial conjecture”, but if it helps in some small way to break the isolation of even one of the victims, I’m happy to put it on record.
– Nick Costello (via web)
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