16/1/2007 - Strong opinions - Tanveer Ahmed in The Australian
I just read an opinion article by Tanveer Ahmed in The Australian, titled: Not bedfellows, but a political attraction, about the strange and alarming marriage between Islamism and the extreme left:
'As a new year begins, the combination of Saddam Hussein's execution, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca by Muslims and another outburst by the cartoon-like Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali maintain the place of politics and Islam at the centre of world affairs.
Meanwhile, many progressive groups are increasingly finding common cause with radical Muslims.
Political outrage towards international conflicts, especially with regard to the Middle East, conjures up some odd images in the modern era. For example, during protests against last year's war in Lebanon, alliances between left-wing and Muslim groups produced images of union leaders wearing the kaffiyeh, the headgear made famous by Yasser Arafat, of the Socialist Alliance marching adjacent to the Hezbollah flag, and of environmental supporters trying to mouth an occasional "Allahu Akbar". '
For the full article, please go to:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21063691-7583,00.html
Over the past year, this Sydney based psychiatry registrar and writer has become my favourite voice within moderate islam in Australia. Tanveer Ahmed describes things as they are, without hiding behind the eternal excuses of victimhood, 'racism' and 'words being misinterpreted'. For me he is the embodiment of how a modern Western lifestyle can go hand in hand with being a muslim and living according to the principles of one's faith.
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