* That’s exactly why we can’t trust religious nuts. We welcome Fred Nile’s support in stopping Islamic immigration, but this kind of sanctimonious BS and moralizing is just not on…
Culture shock … Muslim women walk along an Indonesian beach past a topless foreign tourist.
Hat tip: Weasel Zippers
Conservative MP Fred Nile says he wants topless bathing banned in NSW to protect Sydney’s Muslim and Asian communities.
The Reverend Nile has rejected allegations that prudishness is behind a bill he has prepared to ban nudity, including topless sunbathing, on the state’s most popular beaches.
Australia’s reputation as a conservative but culturally inclusive sociery was at risk of erosion by more liberal overseas visitors, he said.
“Our beaches should be a place where no one is offended, whether it’s their religious or cultural views,” he said.
“If they’ve come from a Middle Eastern or Asian country where women never go topless – in fact they usually wear a lot of clothing – I think it’s important to respect all the different cultures that make up Australia.”
The practice was at risk of raising the ire of Muslim men in particular, Mr Nile said.
“I don’t want to have any provocations or disturbances on our public beaches,” he said.
Acting Premier Carmel Tebbutt and the NSW Opposition Leader, Barry O’Farrell, have both said that topless bathing is an issue for local councils, not state governments.
But Mr Nile said he believed most politicians would come around once all the issues were considered.
“I think if you survey Australian women you’ll find a lot of women would be uncomfortable if it became the custom [to be] topless at the beach,” he said.
“Australia’s always been a conservative country as far as beachwear goes.
“Once being topless is accepted as lawful the next question will be why can’t women go totally nude on a public beach and I don’t think Australians want to go down that pathway.”
NSW Liberal powerbroker David Clarke and Labor MP Paul Gibson have reportedly vowed to support the bill.
AAP reports:
Mr O’Farrell said topless bathing was not a matter for Parliament.
“This is a matter for local councils to deliberate, at a time when state parliament should be focusing on roads, public transport, hospitals and education,” he said today.
“It doesn’t rate on the list of important matters for the Parliament of NSW.”
Up to individuals: Gillard
Speaking to reporters in Melbourne, acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the topless issue was one of context and clear signage.
“People want to go to the beach and use the beach in a variety of ways. Obviously family groups want to go to the beach, people who want to get a bit of sun all over also want to go to the beach,” she said.
“As long as people know what the rules are and know what to expect I think it is a matter for the individuals involved.”
Ms Gillard urged topless bathers to be sun smart.
“There is also a stage where people should be getting the hat on, getting the shirt on and getting the sunscreen on,” she said.
Topless bathing not an issue: Bondi mayor
Waverley Council Mayor Sally Betts says she is aghast at moves by state politicians to outlaw women from sunbathing topless on NSW beaches.
“We’ve got alcohol-related violence, we’ve got under-age drinking and anti-social behaviour in the public domain – those are really important issues,” Ms Betts told Fairfax Radio Network.
“If the Reverend Nile really wants to help people he should focus on those issues.”
Ms Betts said she was at the beach on Christmas Day and Boxing Day and did not notice any topless women.
But if it was a problem, she would have heard about it, she said.
“In Waverley, we have a very involved community. They complain about everything,” she said.
“But nobody has complained to me about topless [women].”
* In the UK the powers that be have already signed up to the coming takeover:
UK: “The Government, the Opposition, the police, schools, the Church of England, the BBC and now Channel 4 are all helping Muslims construct a parallel Islamic state”
At last, someone says it. “Indulgence of Islam is harming society,” by Damian Thompson in theTelegraph,
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Unfortunately all religous nuts are tarred with the same brush. With large amounts of self-fuelled ignorance.
I agree with a topless bathing ban, not because of Muslim or Asian sensibilities but because it really isn’t decent. Families don’t want to take their children to the beach to see half naked women.
OK, while we are banning things, why not a ban on …
Pigs, piggeries, and pork products
Alcohol, breweries, distilleries, hotels and liquor outlets
Eating, serving, or selling food during fast hours during Ramadan
Christmas, churches, crucifixes, Bibles, bell ringing
… any or all of which might cause offence to “different cultures” (well, one “culture” mainly)
And while we are at it, why not a ban on …
Muslim immigration, mosques, Hizb ut Tahrir, koran, burkhas, veils, keffiyahs and halal
products and services?
Ahhh, but that would be … “islamophobia”.
Didn’t Fred Nile campaign on an anti-muslim campaign, last time he ran for state government? Now he’s concerned about muslims feelings. What a disgusting hypocrite.
Birds of a feather DO flock together.
Nice description Lionheart. Hope you read it Freddy
Lionheart,
I would probably qualify as a ‘religious nutter’ by your standards. I am neither for or against topess sun bathing. (I didn’t think it mattered). However, I have usually experienced Fred Nile to be a straight shooter, so I wonder whether the media has quoted him correctly this time?
While I won’t be affected by a ban on nude or topless bathing on beaches, I will most likely
be affected by the proposal to “give” web-sites cinema-style ratings, as suggested by UK
minister for culture Andy Burnham.
I doubt that web-sites will be “given” ratings; more likely the site operators will be required
to seek the rating, with prohibitions & prosecutions of un-rated web-sites. I assume a site
like this will have problems receiving a rating, given that the content might cause “hurt
feelings” to some readers. Hizb ut Tahrir and similar sites dedicated to eliminating freedoms
and establishing a sharia caliphate will probably continue untouched, as they have “human
rights”. ( australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24855624-15306,00.html )
John, the reason why we put up this post is exactly for this reason: we really did believe to this very day that Fred Nile was a straight shooter, that he was on our side and if the media has quoted him incorrectly then we will be more than happy to apologize.
“Our beaches should be a place where no one is offended, whether it’s their religious or cultural views,” he said.
Fred Nile has no right not to be offended. He has the right to stay away from nude beaches.
Clerics have no business in the bedroom, in politics or on the beaches.
People, people, people. The whole bit about Fred opineing about ‘certain cultures being offended’ is the ‘PC vehicle’ that Fred is using to gain momentem for his ‘bill’. Does he give a ‘rats’ about the feelings of Muslims? Give us a break. A large section of the support base for Freds party is non-Muslims who have fled their countries to get away from Muslim persecution. Fred knows first hand what transpires in Muslim countries. The Christian democrat website has it’s policy of the 10 year moratorium on muslim immigration on the front page of the website. i hope this clears all this up for you.
Hang on when can they go completely naked? Got my vote.
Actually today its topless beaches, tomorrow its bikini’s the following day western women need to be fully garbed in a Burka when enjoying their own beaches.
The whole victimization game by Muslims in OUR countries is to take small bites at our otherwise normal morals then evolve becoming the legislated police of moral consciousness. They will never stop the pandering to the liberal ignorance towards what has been let loose on western culture. It’s an old game of war through deception long fought by Islam and almost completely misunderstood by western society.
My advice to those of you who oppose muslim expansion here in Australia is to vote for Fred Niles Christian Democrat Party or other parties that have anti Islamic policies-inform your friends, join these parties and help these parties by volunteering your help. While ever aussies continue to whinge-yet keep voting: liberal & Labor, liberal & labor expect more of the same & worse. Many Aussies also do not understand the preferencing system and vote 1 to Liberal or labor & 2 for Christian democrats-a waste of time. The Christian democrats (CDP) preference the liberal party or other right wing parties anyway, these parties do not preference the CDP. If you vote CDP it must be a No 1 preference on your ballot form.
Jeff,
A better way is for the voter to control the politican – massive lobbying, and general non-support for muslims and their enterprises. Force severe reduction in muslim immigration, removal of muslim thugs from our country, etc, through the law, and through any non-violent means.
Why do we even listen to the constant whining of these disgusting bed-wetters? If they don’t like our way of life, why the hell did they come to our tolerant and democratic countries in the first place? If a woman in a free country wishes to sunbathe with her breasts uncovered, she knows that while the odd wierdo (probably a mosque rat) may inappropriately ogle her, she will be left in peace to do as she pleases. What’s wrong with that? It’s called freedom, which sand weasels seem totally incapable of understanding. When are we going to smarten up and send them all back where they came from? I’ll even help with their fares.
Real women have clitorises.
This was a SECULAR country the last time I looked out of the window. I am not going to support one religous freak to deal with another, it usually makes the one who gets the support believe their own BULLSHIT even more. Remember the U.S. supported the Mujahadeen in the 80′s. I could not cope with billboards with Fred Nile and his beliefs, telling me how to live my life. Religion should stay out of politics, the bedroom, libraries and in Islams case out of the bathroom. A long bow you may say but there is nothing stranger than religous people.