Intolerant Muslims

Here we go again.

Showing a complete lack of a sense of humour while having an intellectual lobotomy at the same time should reduce the holder of theses traits into a blob of nervous mental energy but if you are from the Muslim faith this apparently gives to the right to issue veiled (no pun intended) threats.

I am talking about the reaction to harmless jokes about Muslims made by Maurice Williamson a few weeks back:

These are the "offending" jokes:

"What is the difference between Muslims and Kiwis? Muslims get to commit adultery and get stoned, Kiwis get stoned and commit adultery."

Mr Williamson also quipped about the weather being "Shi'ite in the morning and Sunni in the afternoon," a reference to the two main denominations of the religion.

The problem now is though that the Islamic community don't share Williamson's sense of humour.

"Islamic community leaders have written to Prime Minister John Key demanding Building Minister Maurice Williamson apologise for jokes he made about Muslims.

The Federation of Islamic Associations New Zealand sent the letter more than a week ago but has yet to receive a response. At the time Mr Key played down the jokes, saying Mr Williamson was known for his humour.

President Anwar Ghani said New Zealand Muslims were "very upset" about the intolerant remarks and were happy the federation was raising it officially.

The federation had written to Mr Key on the advice of the Human Rights Commission and would wait for his response before deciding to take further action, he said." Stuff.co.nz

Anwar is very upset huh? Well, if Anwar has had a humour bypass that cant be helped but getting unnecessarily offended just to make your religion noticed isn't a good look.

The Muslim faith has a habit of doing this overseas, complaining for no particular reason and forcing apologies from those who do not need to do so because there is an implied threat of "further action" should groveling to Muslims doesn't happen forthwith.

One can rail against every other religion it seems and intentionally offend but to get offended by a harmless joke isn't acceptable.

Williamson's jokes came in the same week where Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani was due to be stoned to death in Iran for committing adultery. She is of course a Muslim and stoning is acknowledged in the Muslim faith by some.

Now I am offended by that. Why doesn't Anwar come out and defend this woman?

c Darren Rickard 2010

For whom the bill tolls

The bizarre turn of events over what Maurice Williamson said about tolling roads last week goes completely beyond me.

Not only was it nothing to be ashamed about-shame on you John Key for humiliating him-but it is something that the Labour party are keen on doing themselves.


Labour have a raft of measures to increase the burden on vehicle drivers that they are not highlighting.

1. Labour allowed local authorities to charge a 5c a litre tax on petrol.

2. Helen Clark has single handedly at least tripled the cost of the Waterview link of the South Western motorway simply because she insists on a tunnel rather than a conventional motorway.

The rest of that motorway runs conventionally until it reaches Helen Clark's electorate. Where it abruptly stops. Tolls will be charged by Labour to fund this tunnel.

The cost of Helen's couple of kilometres of motorway? More than 2 billion dollars.

Where will it come from? Your pocket.

3. a host of carbon related taxes for motorists-courtesy of the fraudulent emissions trading bill, set to be passed over the next 2 weeks. Motorists will be taxed according to engine size for example.

The extra cost for motoring is clearly higher under Labour but they are not telling you, the voter, the truth about it.

Williamson was talking the truth about tolls, Labour will have tolls as well plus the extra taxes outlined above.

Related Political Animal reading

Fraudulent Emissions Trading Bill

c Political Animal 2008