Meeting Report Speech from the floor by Michael Darby at a debate "Islam is incompatible with democracy", conducted by the St James Ethics Centre at Angel Place, Sydney on Tuesday 15 April 2008. The following text is not warranted as a verbatim report, but is a recollection of impromptu remarks. Mr Chairman
My name is Michael Darby. I represent the Australian Christian Nation Association, ACNA. I do not know whether Islam is incompatible with democracy. It depends on how one defines democracy. One could make an argument for Nazism and Communism being compatible with democracy on the basis that Hitler and Castro enjoyed majority support. If the test of compatibility with democracy is majority support within a nation, then the answer in respect of Islam may be affirmative.
What I do know is that Islam, in theory and in practice, has powerful elements which are consistently hostile to freedom of choice and personal liberty, especially for women. That is the challenge for all who cleave to the Muslim faith, and I pray that they will make the necessary changes.
Principal speakers in the debate:
For the Affirmative: Dr Daniel Pipes, Paul Sheehan, Tanveer Ahmed
For the Negative: Amina Rasul, Samina Yasmeen, Waleed Aly
The Debate was chaired by Dr Simon Longstaff. A full house of 1,200 persons attended. Speakers from the floor were each allowed a maximum of one minute. The motion was carried by 52% to 48%. SMH Reports of 16 April 2008
here and
10 April 2008
here
posted by JR at 10:11 PM
