Every day for the past week, the Sydney Morning Herald has run a special series on Islamic people in Australia. They have been as well researched as any.

I would hope you read the articles. Many whose minds are already closed do not read another point of view. These scholarly, well-researched articles, confirmed the viewpoint I expressed in this e-magazine two months ago, following the call for a moratorium on Muslim immigration for ten years and for a positive discrimination toward Christians who have suffered from Muslim persecution.

This ad-hoc press release was not part of the considered CDP immigration policy although hasty moves were made to have it ratified after the event. There was heated dispute over this matter by senior members of the CDP and one specialist staff member walked out and resigned on the spot.

This whole issue was a deliberate attempt to get some publicity for the CDP Legislative Council campaign. This is actually a Federal issue and the CDP will never have opportunity in State Parliament to alter Commonwealth laws. No other political party, newspaper editorial or church leader supported it.

An immigration moratorium against Muslims is a simple answer to a complex issue, and like so many simple answers it entails other issues that many of us would not accept.

It resulted in the religious and race issues being raised as part of "wedge” politics designed to inflame tensions for the sake of some publicity.

For people who already fear Muslims in our community it raised their fears, and for people who are racist, it encouraged their antagonism.

There was no Christian benefit in such statements. In fact they denied important Christian principles.

I wrote at the time:

"Restricting entry of a group of people that may be seen as threatening (of our security, our jobs, our healthcare, even our supply of water!) is the first thought of many people. When the Chinese started arriving in Australia to work through the tailings of our gold mines in the 1850's riots ensued and after many conflicts, Australians closed ranks behind the White Australia policy of restricted immigration.

Today Asian immigrants and their children have totally integrated into our society and what hospital could continue without them?

In the 1950's the Italians were the first migrants to arrive after World War 2, and many thought priority should be given to English immigrants. After all, they were our allies, whereas the Italians were fighting our forces and killing Australian servicemen.

In the 1950's aggression against European immigrants was a major social issue. Soccer, with nationalistic teams, became almost a blood sport as old antagonisms were fought on the playing fields and grandstands.

Yet these immigrants changed Australia for the better, and were the heroes of the Snowy Mountain scheme and our new industries. Their children are now the leading politicians in every state, found among all professions as lawyers, doctors, academics, clergy and researchers.

300,000 Muslims are now in Australia. That is 1.4% of the population. Most of these are law-abiding citizens making a contribution to the nation. Some young adults of Arabic speaking Australian families, who are themselves born in Australia, take upon themselves the right to intimidate and promote extreme views, including terrorist calls. Some like David Hicks have trained overseas in terrorist camps and are believed to have declared they will fight Westerners overseas and in our country. The terrorist atrocities in the USA, London, Madrid, Paris makes it possible that we will be next.

That has made many citizens extremely nervous. Such threats, from any minority, are not acceptable to Australians and we certainly did not see them in the past from immigrants from China, the Mediterranean, Eastern Europe and so on.

The trouble with banning immigrants on the basis of either their religion or ethnicity, is that it cuts right against our Christian and democratic principles. No matter how we may be afraid of minorities, banning them is a return to the White Australia policy. It is not the way to go. Such bans encourage racists and rednecks who can quickly swing into action as we saw in Cronulla and its reaction.

Restricting immigrant visas to only Arabic speaking Christians from Muslim persecution will create a group of people who declare themselves Christian in order to get visas, and create resistance to integration when they arrive here. Even the most limited intellect can see this.

The solution? Open immigration policies for all in need, strict application of the existing laws against people involved in terrorist or anti-social activities, the removal of all social and economic barriers against minorities that cause social unrest, the building of an attitude of neighbourliness, and of every kind of activity leading to integration into Australian culture and values.

Encouraging a multiculturalism that divides cultures and entrenches old antagonisms is not the way to go.

Our people should be educated on what it means to be an Australian. Families, schools, the media and even "shock jocks" ought to understand the need for harmony in our communities. An emphasis in these contexts must be placed on the manner in which people from different ethnic groups have added to the social fabric of this nation.

Those in leadership in our nation ought to be fully aware of their responsibility as agents of construction - they add to the sentiments and values that make this nation what it is. Christian leaders should be peacemakers, and mediators of the divisiveness that destroys us all.

With immigrants coming to Australia from more than 150 countries, we have been the greatest melting pot in the Southern Hemisphere. We are a peaceful and cohesive community with contributions to the total welfare from immigrants and the children of immigrants making our nation.

Currently we have some problems with some Muslims, limited to some parts of Sydney and Melbourne. What we must do is solve the problems where they exist, not ban entire groups of people on the basis of ethnicity or religion."

Of course those comments brought forth a torrent of abuse, hate mail and a few reasoned alternate views. None of them showed a trust in God, an understanding of Biblical history, nor a realization of what a missionary opportunity we have on our doorstep.

Last Saturday, after a week of intensive investigation of the situation, the "Sydney Morning Herald" editorial came out basically supporting my position.

It said in part,

"This week's Herald series Face of Islam has found Islam at a turning point. There is a profound sense of change as Muslim Australians, particularly young Muslims, outgrow communities defined along narrow ethnic lines. A new generation of Muslim Australians looks forward to home-grown religious and community leaders, and a full place in Australian society.

A critical transition to an Australian Islam appears under way, and Australians must not allow this encouraging prospect to be imperilled by the prejudices of the past.

Another facet of the change taking place is evident in the increasing diversity within Australian Muslim congregations. The call to prayer at Victoria's Virgin Mary Mosque, for example, soars across ethnic boundaries to bring together Somalis, Bosnians, Sudanese, Albanians and Asians as well as those from the Middle East.

The Herald found Muslims in Australia rightly resent being lumped together without regard for differences of nationality, language, culture, traditions, and styles of observance.

Australians too readily equate "Muslim" with "Arab". After 1400 years, Islam now spans the globe, and that is reflected in the rich texture of Islam in Australia. While some Australian Muslim communities did originate in the Middle East - like the many Lebanese who settled in Sydney - others have come from Europe and Africa, and, of course, right across Asia. And the biggest group comprises those Muslims born right here in Australia. Even in their adherence to Islam, Australian Muslims follow not one strand of the religion, but a number.

Whether settlers or native born, Australia's Muslims are understandably tired of having to defend and explain themselves. Misunderstandings have multiplied alarmingly in recent years, fuelled by suspicion, mistrust and plain prejudice. Muslims are disappointed by the willingness of so many Australians to characterise the entire community in terms of the worst excesses of Muslims here and overseas.

Yet the suburban ordinariness of life for most Australian Muslims could hardly be further from the deranged world of the suicide bomber. That is part of the problem. The quiet success of Australia's Muslims as mechanics, teachers, restaurateurs and in a score of other everyday roles will never make the news. Yes, there are high-flyers, and none higher than Ahmed Fahour, the 40-year-old son of immigrants who now heads the National Australia Bank. But success is bought more dearly by those from migrant communities who have to master not just differences of religion, but of language and culture."

There is an important message here for Christians. As the Herald says, "Misunderstandings have multiplied alarmingly in recent years, fuelled by suspicion, mistrust and plain prejudice. Muslims are disappointed by the willingness of so many Australians to characterise the entire community in terms of the worst excesses of Muslims here and overseas.”

Our behaviour has not been faultless. The Christian Democratic Party will one day look back on our attitudes and press releases with shame.

We need to be more Christian, repent of the ugly side of our electioneering, study the issues calmly and ask what Jesus would do in our society. Other churches have done that, and I think it is significant that not one church leader or Australian Church denomination came out in support of our immigration publicity and migrant selection based on race, religion and ethnicity.

A good dose of humility would be a good starting point.

Rev The Hon. Gordon Moyes, A.C., M.L.C.