Notable Quotables from Around the World

Australia
Democrat Lyn Allison

If it wasn't the Greeks, it was the Italians ... or it was the Vietnamese. But those are races and nationalities. Islam is a religion, and a political project, and a globalised ideology. Unlike the birthplace of your grandfather, it's not something you leave behind in the old country.

Liberal John Howard

You can't find any equivalent in Italian or Greek or Lebanese or Chinese or Baltic immigration to Australia. There is no equivalent of raving on about jihad.

Liberal Peter Costello

There are countries that apply religious or sharia law: Saudi Arabia and Iran come to mind. If a person wants to live under sharia law these are countries where they might feel at ease. But not Australia.

Liberal Alexander Downer

Multilateralism is a synonym for an ineffective and unfocused policy involving internationalism of the lowest common denominator.

Netherlands
Christian Democrat Minister for Justice Piet Hein Donner

It is a sure certainty for me: if two thirds of all Netherlanders tomorrow would want to introduce Sharia, then this possibility must exist. Could you block this legally? It would also be a scandal to say 'this isn't allowed!

Labour Jeroen Dijsselbloem

The Minister for Justice must invest his energies in opposing these sorts of opinions rather than signalling that such ideas can form part of our democracy.

Social Democtrat Jens Orbach

We must be open and tolerant towards Islam and Muslims because when we become a minority, they will be so towards us.

Social Democrat Goran Johansson

If it is obvious that someone has been smuggled in they should be sent back again. We should never accept this. By not saying anything we are tacitly accepting people smuggling. Then they can come back by the normal route. There may be those who can't scrape together 100,000 kronor whose need to come here is perhaps greater. But they don't get a chance.

I found many of these quotes from a Mark Steyn article, and Google was my friend for the others. Here is Steyn's concluding remarks

As a distant observer of Australian affairs, I had some small personal contact with Howard and co. over the years. Merry, feisty, blunt and fair, they were exactly what we need at this moment: happy warriors. I'm saddened Australians feel differently. But if it's too late to get the US constitution amended in time for them to run for president next November, the savvier candidates ought to snap 'em up as speech writers.

Amen Mark. I prefer that the Republicans get the Aussies for speech writer, and the Dems go with the Dutch and the Swedes.