[Galaxy S II Android Development] stylemessiah:
OT

Well as you may know, just under 2 weeks ago we had a nutter take hostages here in a cafe in Sydney, about 3 blocks from where i sit. He had been totally disowned by every segment of the muslim community, as he was radical in his public statements, was on bail for being an accessory in his ex-wifes murder, and charged with a number of sexual offenses (yes, we're all wondering how he was on bail)., and had been charged and convicted in the past with writing disgusting letters to the families of fallen Australian soldiers. So he took hostages at a cafe near a major tv station only days before he was due to go back to court, got the hostages to hold up an islamic flag (which had a basic statement of faith - not a radical statement, which im sure he was hoping most would think), and i think hoped that his stand, and his inevitable death would cause a backlash against muslims, who im sure he was trying to punish because they'd disowned him. Ironically a muslim leader was the one to call the police and identify the gunman from the tv footage, as if any further proof was needed that his radical ideology was rejected by those of his own mainstream muslim faith. We refused to see him as a terrorist, he was just a nutter who should never been on bail, and although he had a history of extremist views, he was in the end a man who just happened to have an islamic flag handy when he unravelled when he was days from being back in court and likely off to jail. Im convinced he was trying to stir trouble with everyone and every group he felt had "wronged" him.

The negative outcome was 2 hostages dead, but the positive outcome was that the city rejected fear and hate and leaders of every religion held services together, jewish, catholic, buddhist and muslim leaders stood in the same place together and rejected his message of division. Every section of the muslim community refused to take the hostage takers body for burial. You've probably heard of the hashtag #illridewithyou, a hashtag started by an average aussie girl who saw a muslim woman take off her headscarf the day of the hostage crisis, and wanted to volunteer to travel with any people of the muslim faith who felt they might be scared of a backlash and harrassment. That hashtag was quickly adopted and went massive. The site of people of the muslim faith coming to the site of the hostage crisis in the days afterwards and laying flowers and saying prayers and being embraced by the families of those killed was no better advertisement that you cannot end human compassion, decency or solidarity and community with a gun or a bomb. Im extremely proud of every member of my community for what they did in the days after the tragedy, the 100,000+ floral bouquets at the site of the hostage crisis were something to see. Hate was rejected. That man lost in his attempt to divide our community and foster hate. There will always be a minority outside the mainstream of every faith that have a radical view, its totally unfair to brand the majority for the actions of the exceptions

Feel free to hate a person based on their individual actions, but hating a group of people based on their faith/skin colour etc is just ridiculous, says more about your character than theirs.

For me personally, i have friends of all faiths/races etc, my brain doesnt do prejudice. I dont understand why difference in religion (or race etc for that matter) is the drama it is, I have a friend who is curator of the jewish museum here in Sydney, i volunteer for a lady with MS (totally bed bound) who is a seventh day adventist and in a seventh day adventist nursing home, ive enjoyed sweet treats at Eid with a muslim colleague at work, and my friend upstairs in my building is a buddhist. The one thing we have in common is that we almost never talk religion, not one of these people has ever tried to indoctrinate me, their religion does not define their entire being. The lady with MS wasnt even aware that i wasnt religious and an athiest until 4 and a half years into my volunteering for her. Theres much more to people, and mush more to talk about, and far more ways to measure a person than their religious affiliation. Underneath any religious doctrine must exist humanity, and every person should show it.

Intolerance (of any kind), theres no place for it on this little rock we all have to inhabit.

Sorry folks....the Queen of England gets her Christmas Message time, guess ive just had mine :)