On this Australia Day 2016 I am fully aware of our fortunate position where we have many personal freedoms in our society. These freedoms have been hard won over centuries of fighting, conflict and resolving religious conflicts.
We also live in a democracy. To us, democracy and 'freedom' are one and the same; but a short perusal of the 'situation' will show that some democracies have freedoms similar to ours; but some do not.
We also live in a society based on the Judeo-Christian tradition, but even though it may not be written in our Constitution, in practice we have separated all our governance from all our religious practices (and we have enshrined the right for our citizens to practice any religion, as long as they obey the secular Laws of the Land).
However, in our modern world, there are democracies whose citizens cover all the World's major religions – including Islam such as Indonesia – and not all Christian-based democracies afford their citizens the same freedoms that we have (Zimbabwe and Fiji - two recent / current examples).
Because of these complications, I am able to speak about 'freedoms' in our society, and not refer to the general fraught term 'democracy'.
Although there have been many 'home grown' acts of terrorism in various countries, including Australia, we feel threatened at this present time because of recent acts of co-ordinated and lone-wolf terrorism that are squarely aimed at our free Western culture.
We are naturally more frightened of 'the unknown' than those within our own culture, and the terrorists play on this emotion – one of their aims is to create 'terror' in order for the society to collapse: the loss of life may not be their prime objective.
The first step in combating this fear, is to learn about others' views so we know what they are thinking and why. The second step, as Thomas Jefferson has reported to have said, is to be vigilant.
All of us can recount terrorist actions and threats around the world and in Australia now. For example, a young English Muslim lad was caught, tried and sentenced for inciting terror in Australia from his computer at his home in England.
Islamist
"The Islamist" is an autobiographical journey of a young man, Ed Husain, born in England to a family originally from Pakistan, who became radicalised by association with Islamist extremists. In his book, he tells the story of how this happened, and how he eventually denounced radicalism and Islam.
He explains that those wanting to bring down the very system that allows them to engage in the political process do so on an ideological basis, that once in power, the long-term aim is to destroy that very system of freedom. As a guest writer for the Sydney Morning Herald, a few years ago, Ed Hussain summarised his thoughts again: ("The Islamist: Why I Joined Radical Islam in Britain, What I Saw Inside and Why I Left" (03 May 2007) by Ed Husain is published by Penguin Paperback)
There are fundamentalist Muslim people who interpret Muslim teachings to such an extreme that they reject the modern development of city/state governments, including our current Western political systems and those that are being developed by Muslim countries.
In their interpretation, religion and government are not separate; and they also see it as their mission to convert the whole world to Islam. Their current activities seem to have been precipitated by their perception that America's (and the West) incursions into the Middle East are acts of aggression against Islam. ISIS is recognised a threat to the free world.
Because, in their view, religion and politics are the same, they view their aggression against Westerns societies as a religious one – they talk about countering the attacks by the 'Nations of the Crusades'(Some of these differences in attitudes are explained in yet another book, "The Crisis of Islam – Holy War and Unholy Terror" (2003) by Bernard Lewis published by Phoenix Paperback).
These groups are called 'Islamist'. But note, this is NOT the same as the term 'Islam' in that it does not refer to the majority of Muslims who peacefully practise one of the many variations of the religion generally called Islam. Although the meaning has shifted, as often occurs with use of language, the current usage refers to a 'supporter or advocate of Islamic fundamentalism'.
The difficulty is that these peaceful Muslims are totally irrelevant as were the peaceful Germans in the Nazi world as illustrated by many commentators today.
A similar story
Irfan Yusuf, an Australian-born lawyer, tells a similar story in an interview on ABC National Radio ("Life Matters" program) way back 13 January 2010
He also documents his story in his book: "Once Were Radicals:my years as a teenage Islamo Fascist" byIrfan Yusuf, published by Allen and Unwin)
In the chapter 'Return to England' Ed Husain provides a very detailed account of how innocuous organisational names functioned as fronts with much nastier aims. Of more concern is the challenge to our hard-won free society, with its system of its smooth functioning with its unwritten rules of fair play, honesty and neighbourly behaviour.
These Islamist organisations have used the young people who have been raised in the free Western societies, and who are thus familiar with the workings of the political and social systems and who speak the language without an accent. Therefore they will not attract attention that a 'stranger' would, to take the rules and regulations to their breaking point, and also to use the 'repressed minority' sentiments and regulations to advantage over and against the general population in a host of both private and public situations.
Recently some Muslims in Switzerland demanded the national flag be changed and remove the white cross on the red flag. In Australia many public situations now appear where Christmas carols with Jesus birth are banned from the public space. Schools too are in on such social manipulations in case someone might offend someone within this 1.8% of the national population.
This is the affront, that makes free democratic societies so vulnerable to the radical agenda. It highlights the challenges for all free societies, not just in the West but for those that are trying to develop more equitable systems. Many commentators tackle this issue on the basis that those wanting to infiltrate secular, free Governments and replace them with Islamic laws also want to destroy Western ideologies.
Ways forward
There seem to be several ways forward. They all need to be implemented as appropriate, and all need to work together.
The first reaction of individuals is vigilance. People are learning to look for 'suspicious' behaviour. Without this becoming a paranoid 'dob in your neighbour' activity, it can have ongoing benefits. On 9/11, there was another plane that apparently was destined for the White House. On that plane, passengers received mobile phone calls about the collapse of the Twin Towers, and those passengers overcame the terrorists and bravely and selflessly stopped this plane flying into a building (although, as we know, it inevitably crashed).
Since then, there have been many anecdotes of passengers overcoming people who behave suspiciously on planes. Never again will potential hostages sit quietly and acquiesce to the demands of terrorists.
Another approach is a political reprise. France has taken legislative steps that equates Muslim head wear to stating a political agenda (as Turkey's Attaturk did in the 1920's – banning the Hijab in any public place – including schools, universities and parliament). The Swiss have spoken in a referendum to ban Islamic worship centre Minarets. In Australia a Judge has taken the extraordinary step of describing a Muslim spokesperson with words that would in the public sphere be libellous.
Another possible solution is a social one - to work with Muslim populations groups which, in western societies, have developed social welfare and worship agendas. Muslim moderate communities have it within their own hands to 'ensure a separation' of religious and political agendas when living in western democracies, and to live by the rules of the free societies in which they live.
As an example of such 'freedom' rules, so much of Australia's legal system carries with it vestiges from the Bible. For example, 1 Samuel chapter 30 verse 24, David establishes that those who stay behind with "the stuff" get an equal portion of the booty to those who were at the front. This kind of scenario is likewise seen in our divorce laws that the spouse who kept the home fires going and raised the children gets an equal portion.
A more global and long-lasting solution is to ensure that our economy and intellectualism are strong, and that all in our society are able to take advantage of the jobs market and education and that no-one is marginalised to the extent that they can hold a grudge.
All comers, including Muslim people and their families can therefore likewise enjoy these privileges that are common to western liberalism and be part of ongoing intellectual pursuits that allows free thought and expression without fear of threat to their person, families or their lives.
What if all this does not work?
In the 19th century American trading ships were being attacked willy nilly and cargoes stolen repeatedly by Muslim terror ships with crews being enslaved - along the north African Mediterranean coast lines. Politics came to a head and an armada of American warships were sent across the Atlantic for the express purpose of fixing the problem. It was fixed.
Like the Nazi's and the Communists last century and numerous other dictators and murderous military leaders, endless exhaustive talks and diplomacy came to nothing. The peaceful loving citizens were totally irrelevant. Mammoth sacrifice was required.
In 1940 Churchill warned of a new dark age unless the Nazi menace was faced and Australian Prime Minister John Curtin in 1942 stated that every man, woman and boy and girl in Australia was in the service of this Commonwealth to defend the Commonwealth against the aggressor whether they liked it or not.
Our vigilance and prayer is indeed a biblical theme. Moreover, we are watching such vigilance and answers to prayer play-out as our police forces are catching-out those who are in the throws of planning such activities. The scripture says the prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html