In the here and now, there will always be strife, poverty and domination by Others. This, I suggest, is a previously unrecorded legacy of contact between Aborigines and Indonesians.
(Australian Folklore 11, 1996 131) (see Part 1 )
Part 2 examined the negative impact of Islam on Aboriginal culture –disturbed psyche, paedophilia, violence to women and children, polygamy, inferior status to women or non-muslims, destruction of Aboriginal dreamtime/art/music/dancing/ all central to aboriginality and the enforcement of an Arab supremist, totalitarian ideology with a long and ongoing black slave-trade.
This part looks at the ‘reasons’ given for Aboriginal conversion to Islam reported in Ms Stephenson’s paper (3-5/3/08) and the Sydney Morning Herald (4/5/07) ‘A New faith for Kooris’
Why would Aborigines convert to such a destructive religion as Islam?
According to Ms Stephenson, Aborigines convert because Islam is the original and true revelation of allah (so what!!) or due to Muslim ‘ancestors’ (did they have ancestors before the Muslim ones?) or because of the supposed ‘cultural convergence’ between Islam and Aboriginal society. This supposed convergence is explained as:
‘A number of my practicing Muslim interviewees explained this apparent cultural convergence through reference to Islamic teachings. According to a well-known tradition, Muhammad (the final Prophet) said that Allah had sent 124 000 prophets (and 313 messengers) into the world. Muslims believe that all races, nations and peoples have had their own Prophets, all of whom gave the same basic message to surrender to God in their own languages.’
Gee, must have missed all those polytheists and earth MOTHER worshippers! I guess they got it wrong! Why did allah stop sending all these prophets — did he run out??
Hang on though, Buddha, the Christian Jesus, Zoroaster, Confucius etc seem to be the opposite of Mohammad, allah’s last and best. Mohammad was a paedophile, he endorsed clitoridectomy, he punched his child bride Aisha hard in the chest and told men they could beat women and plough them like fields, he was a polygamist, he enslaved and raped and allowed his men to do so, he assassinated, stole, he sadistically practised beheading entire tribes (males), reintroduced stoning and stoned people to death (eg females), he stuck hot pokers in the eyes of eight men and amputated their limbs and left them to die, he flogged his slaves and he described women in the most vile way noting they were inferior in everyway and populated hell and he ensured they did not have the financial or political power that his first, much older wife Khadia enjoyed in the pre-Islamic era etc but this is NOT the case for others so clearly they are NOT any of allah’s prophets! What a relief!
Part 1 showed that Aboriginals were exposed to the disruptive impact of Muslims and some ‘similarities’ may result from that time when the alien culture dominated them while the source is now lost or rendered as mythology. Likewise tribal groups living in similar circumstances independently develop behaviours which may be similar-no prophets required!! Other so-called similarities are certainly not limited to or in practice even found in Islam! Some negative impacts have been discussed in part 2.
Absurd rationalisations for Aboriginal conversion:
a) Both believe God is omnipotent, has no beginning and no end, Gee, really original!! Others have independently developed this idea which was widespread in the middle-east pre-Islam and copied by Muslims who created an evil god that supported perversion, sadism, racism, intolerance, violence, abuse of women and repression. Who cares what Muslims claim? There are NO Korans from the 7th century and the first complete Koran dates to the 13th century! To hide the fact that they copied others Muslims invented a claim that allah sent all these earlier prophets and the world was really Islamic but we all forgot!! Give me a Bucket!!
b) We share (Hardly unique! Muslims cannot be friends with infidels so sharing is limited. Notewealthy oil sheiks)
c) Some are salt-water people or both visit sites at a particular time for resources (ie they COMPETED for resources, taking from the Aborigines);
d) Both observed rituals and were semi-nomadic; both do pilgrimages to sacred sites (Gee, how strange! Muslims destroy the sacred sites of others);
e) Both came from desert areas with tribal cultures where avenging ‘injustices’ are understood (Yes, we really want tribal blood wars to continue!);
f) Both circumcise (did Aborigines copy this from Muslims a few hundred years ago?);
g) Modesty and the segregation of men and women (yes sir, hide those filthy female bodies or you will get what you deserve; make sure your daughters are filled with shame and your kids are sexually twisted and never see the other sex as an equal human being and friend. Stop those women dancing!)
h) Both have rigid laws/practices which in Islam controls all aspects of life-strict (We all have laws and many of Islam’s laws are barbaric, and totally unacceptable in a civilised society. God’s laws—who says! Who follows such horror? We should question rigid codes that control every aspect of life—such questioning is forbidden in Islam which provides vicious penalties for those who dare to deviate! This is NOT self-control, it is FEAR! One interviewee hides in Lakemba where she can’t become an alcoholic or gambler indicating that she is completely incapable of controlling herself –like those cat’s meat loving Muslim males—however, under Islamic law in Lakemba she can be beaten, ploughed like a field, divorced at will and left with nothing, restricted to the home, and be part of the personal brothel of a Muslim male whether she likes it or not! I’d rather chance the alcoholism!
i) Islam will solve all problems: (Yes, look at those lovely Islamic paradises—why are Muslims here rather than racing to live in the Islamic world with all problems solved!!)
j) Islam tolerates difference; (Where? When? Never! Muslim Aborigines don’t realise they are already becoming Arab. The true Koran must be in Arabic, they must pray in Arabic, they face Mecca and follow the laws and practices of barbaric, archaic Arab tribes! Have any Aborigines looked at the laws of dhimmitude where others may be allowed to live (Islamic tolerance), but only under the most oppressive, hateful laws that deny equality and freedom.)
k) Aboriginals will be masters of their own destinies: (Not under Islam! They will be slaves to the dictates of Islam, not free to explore other options!)
l) Claimed associations to the land and a global spiritual community are certainly NOT limited to Islam or even part of Islam. Islamic slaughter is sadistic and text endorses cruelty to camels (ibn Majah 4.3097, Maliks Muwatta 20.57.191 and 24.4.8, 9), cruelty to birds (Abu Dawud book 15 Nos. 2818, 2819) and kill dogs (Bukhari Vol 4 book 54 No. 540, 541 ; Abu Dawud book 16 No. 2840) and more! Jihad laws allow the destruction of trees and dwellings, the enslavement of women and children and the killing of women and children who resist (Reliance of the Traveller p 603, 604) etc Don’t mention the water wastage in washing 5 times a day because your god demands it! Yes really friendly and environmentally sound! Islam destroys the ‘spiritual communities’ of others!
m ) Nasty west, colonialism, Christianity: The west is materialistic, greedy, filled with lust and violence: Don’t mention Mohammad who married a wealthy widow and lived off her in the pre-Islamic world. Mohammad as allah’s prophet attacked caravans and tribes, stole goods/land, enslaved/sold people, and raped! Mohammad had many wives (including a childbride), concubines and slaves and exercised his lust and violence over them! Find a more materialistic, lascivious, violent ‘prophet’ than Mohammad! Islamic text is filled with lust, greed, perversion and violence! Look at today’s wealthy oil sheiks while their populations live in ignorance, illiteracy, poverty etc. Note materialistic Dubai built on ‘slave-like’ labour.
Silver Audi A8 - DubaiEmir's Palace - Abu DhabiAs opposed to the Western capitalistic greedy societies, Islam offers only modesty, sharing of wealth and social justice
Christianity is ‘white fella society’ – but Christianity began in the Middle-East and Christians were persecuted for hundreds of years and are persecuted today (along with all non-Muslims) in the Islamic world. Ms Stephenson’s anti-Christian bias is clear. (see note at end).
Forget human rights, equality under our law, abolition of slavery, western democracy that protects individuals from the state, individual freedom, tolerance! Islam has one law for Muslim men (Arabs superior) and other vile, repressive laws for women and non-Muslims. Do Aboriginal women want to be reduced to their inferior status in Islam?
Colonialism may have been bad but, if Muslims, particularly Arab Muslims had arrived here in large numbers it would have been far worse --- let’s hope we never find out how bad it would be!!
Generate hatred, violence.
Australian aboriginals are played upon by Muslims who use any discontent to ‘convert’ people to Islam claiming a myriad of lies --- ie Islam is the religion of the oppressed ---when in reality Islam is the greatest oppressor in the world and Islam is the answer when in fact it is the cause of incredible barbarity, cruelty, oppression and cultural destruction the world over!
The Islamic aim is to use discontented groups, particularly violent exprisoners, to cause social disruption as they instil in them an Islamic identity with its hatred and violence to others. Violence is now allowed in the service of allah and making Australia Islamic. Remember, Mohammad was told to fight until all the religion is allah’s/all proclaim there is no god but...
Conclusion:
The true history behind what it means to be Aboriginal, particularly for northern Australian Aborigines, is the recognition that their first contact with others --- namely Muslim Macassan traders (and perhaps later competitive pearlers as well)—was very destructive and affected their psyche leading them to believe that evil would remain, they were ‘black’/inferior and would be forever impoverished and dominated by the other! They were the minority group overrun by the Muslim Macassan traders and they tried to overcome this imbalance and evil by taking on some of the other and incorporating aspects into myth to explain their situation and assist their survival--- but they did NOT become Islamic. Retrieving ‘Aboriginality’ actually means rejecting the bits forced on them (black, dominated, impoverished, strife-ridden), by the unpleasant meeting of Aborigines and Islam. Taking on even more of Islam’s rigid dictates that control all aspects of life, would destroy Aboriginal culture and render Aborigines second class black ‘slaves’ to the ‘white’Arab supremist, totalitarian ideology of Islam.
I wish others would note what is going on and counter the ridiculous claims and explanations made in this Islamic propaganda ‘research’ paper and being sold to Aborigines. As someone who grew up with an Aboriginal friend who lived a few doors up and who has a lovely Torres Strait Islander family member, I want only the best for Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders ---I slam is the worst!
Note:
Ms Stephenson’s constant black/white (without reference to Islam’s racism and black slave trade) and anti-Christian polemic is a real concern in something claiming to be academic research.
She shows her extreme bias (if you’ve missed it so far) by an anti-Christian comment about ‘original sin’ which requires a comment from an atheist--- ‘Original sin’ as such doesn’t exist in the Old or New Testament. Ezekial 18.20 states that the son doesn’t inherit the guilt of the father and the father doesn’t bear the guilt of the son. There is no original sin in Judaism. However some later
Christian groups developed an idea called original sin which means that when Adam disobeyed god he separated from god and sin entered the world so all are born in this separate state which is overcome by the death of Jesus, and forgiveness, allowing all to enter heaven. Other Christian groups don’t adhere to ideas of original sin. I don’t know of any biblical text that consigns babies to hell but I do know of Islamic text that does so!
Ms Stephenson (and others eg Wikipaedia) who fail to look deeply into Islam claim there is no original sin but they fail to acknowledge some rather scary text that tells us that pre-birth allah determines your entire life including whether you will go to heaven or hell –ie you have been allotted your punishment before you are even born and there is no chance of any change (see text Evil Allah Leads People Astray - 13-05-8)
This ‘fate’ applies to babies as allah has already determined if they will go to hell—
Eg: Muslim Book 33, Number 6436: 'A'isha, the mother of the believers, said that Allah's Messenger (pbuh) was called to lead the funeral prayer of a child of the Ansar. I said: Allah's Messenger, there is happiness for this child who is a bird from the birds of Paradise for it committed no sin nor has he reached the age when one can commit sin. He said: 'A'isha, per adventure, it may be otherwise, because God created for Paradise those who are fit for it while they were yet in their father's loins and created for Hell those who are to go to Hell. He created them for Hell while they were yet in their father's loins.
Text also tells us that allah deliberately leads people astray and none can retrieve them so he can fulfill his promise to fill hell with people and jinn!
Also, we are told that no woman would have been unfaithful to her husband if it hadn’t been for EVE -ie Eve’s sin, her immoral character is transferred to all women (original sin?) which is no doubt why they are described in the most disgusting ways (full of guile, devils, evil omens, crooked, inferior etc) in Islamic text and why hell is populated by women!
Eg. Bukhari Volume 4, Book 55, Number 611: Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Were it not for Bani Israel, meat would not decay; and were it not for Eve, no woman would ever betray her husband."
( alsoMuslim Book 8, Number 3471: (repeated in more detail 3472!!) etc!)
Her paper pushes the view that we were all Muslims by constant use of the term revert ---revert to insanity!
References:
Many articles already on site have covered text supporting all claims in the article re Islam
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Although everyone suffers in Islam, it seems that women, little girls, and little boys suffer the most because of their vulnerability. That's why I put extra effort in my spare time to destroy this most insidious, deceptive "religion" called Islam. What a wicked evil it is! Islam is worse than Communism especially in the Third World Countries, that is, Muslim countries. People should make no mistake. It could happen also in Australia if Islam swallows you. It happened in other free and/or Christian countries, did it not?
When I mentioned little boys, I was thinking of the little boys in the Islamic Madrassas. They are kept as prisoners, sometimes in chains, while they're trying to memorize the filthy Qur'an in a language that they don't understand. Those poor kids look like zombies.
It's too bad that free countries allow Muslim countries to be part of the UN. That's the main reason we can't do much against Islam.
My preliminary research indicates that those involved tend to speak, not of ‘conversion’ but ‘reversion’.That of course is pure Islam-speak and 'those involved', if they said this, are merely regurgitating what has been put into them. It is hardly unique to them but she presents it as thought it is and is something that has been evoked from within them by their conversion experience. Her double significance point is therefore collapses to a 'single significance' point but the significance is that the converts have identified with the Muslim forbears who cast their Aboriginal forebears out of their Garden of Eden, rather than with those Aboriginal forebears .
I can't stop laughing at the picture caption 'striking cultural similarities' . A revealing comment.
Re European colonialism, it improved the lot of non-Muslims in Islamic countries, who lived under wretched conditions of dhimmitude, being at the mercy of cruel Islamic leaders, and often being little more than slaves who could be killed at will.
It is terrible living under Islam. Even Muslims suffer - just look at the fate of women in Afghanistan and Black Muslims in Darfur.
'Although everyone suffers in Islam, it seems that women, little girls, and little boys suffer the most because of their vulnerability'
Such a contrast with Christians, who are taught to look after the weaker members of society. Islam teaches to torment the weaker people.
Maybe you should send your research to Peta's supervisor. (only joking). It is sad that Ms Stephenson will probably receive a PhD for all this nonsense. Her supervisor should be disciplined for allowing such rubbish.
Even from your photos of muslim women and aboriginal women there is such a stark contrast. And from Dan's history of contact with Flinders it is obvious the influence of Islam was not positive.
I just loved Peta's observation:
"Islam doesnt share the baggage of missionary Christianity".
You only have to look at the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasty expansion in the 7th and 8th centuries to see how absurd that observation is!
Maybe Ms Stephenson works in the Taqiyya department of the Islamic Studies??
Peta has to be a Muslim as per the way she presents her discussion of reversion as emanating from within her correspondents
I think she is just intellectually challenged Marxist, who must have her underdog for patronizing.
In the mountains of Irian Jaya lives a tribe of natives called the Yalu. They possessed a law of ten commandments called wene malalek and a holy ground called osuwa. Within the sacred ground was a building with two rooms, an outer room where priests held ceremonies and an inner room that held a sacred stone. Animal sacrifices were done in the outer court.
This is vey similar to the Levitical code of the Jews, and of course the muslims never knew the 10 commandments.
Also, in Burma there was a tribe called the Karen who worshipped a God called Y'wa and believed in an Adam and Eve story. Once again this is closer to the Jewish beliefs than the Islamic beliefs.
She fraudulently portrays the Indon/Malay - a person coming under the influence of islam but not fully of the ummah as fully representative of some "pure" or full-born islam. In other words, Stephenson is claiming that the islam our Aboriginal population encountered is of the same ilk as an Arab from Medina or Mecca, where the practitioner can be assumed to have been fully aware of the intricacies and.... niceties....of Mohameds ravings.
This deception/assumption is necessary of you want to maintain that Aboriginals are Muslims!
However, no such assumption is valid for the Indon archepelago until about 100 years ago.
The fact is, the traders and fisherman who had commerce with Australian natives were themselves still deeply enshrouded in paganism, including every form of animism and polytheism ever extant in Asia. They were only gradually coming under the thrall/pall of Mohamed.
Islam was in competition. In many places it failed to take root at all, places such as Timor and Bali. In other places it's success was moot, such as in Aceh and Ambon, where Islam only gained the upper hand in our lifetime - and that by violence.
Indonesia can only be said to have become fully Islamised in the last 100 years, a period when Indon influence in Nth Australia was being curtailed by inconveniences such as the Australian Navy!!!
Border patrols aimed at stopping incursions into our sovereignty also stopped any "dialogue" with the natives! Oooops. Peta Stephenson is suddenly down to a tiny population of people residing in Broome and similar inconsequential (until recently) WA pearling towns who were Mohamedan....hardly the reach she wants to claim. No wonder she has to reach for the mythical and ubiquitous "Afghan Cameleers"! Gawd, those camel jocks were such nation- shapers!!!
In other words Peta - you lie. I guess that makes you as good Muslim.
The people who came to Australia and had religious dialogue with the indigenous were, at best, nascent, pre-Islamic primitives. The islamic conquest of Indon/Malay was not yet complete and certainly, not as radical. Aboriginals, thus, did NOT have any meetings with Islam as you suggest.
Many Aboriginals remain indebted to their encounters with Christianity, to this day.
Certainly the early attempts at dealing with the native populace were error prone and riddled.... awful in many ways.... but Christianity is able to address it's faults through self-examination and throught the agency of the Holy Spirit...... things unavailable to Islam.
Muslims demonstrate every day and in every place they inhabit, that they have little time for self-criticism and self-examination.
Gawd, how would you cope with the guilt??? :-
Once again, Dan, it says my comment is too short, so I'm writing a nonsensical sentence to satisfy a grumpy computer
