Security: Schism in Islam blocks pathway to stability
Amin Saikal's argument is accurate but superficial ("Middle East extremism will defy military solutions", Comment, 25/11). Yes, Western powers have a great deal to answer for by upsetting the apple cart. WWI and WWII and since, all too often "we" have stuck our oar into Middle East waters without regard to the law of unintended consequences. As long as the real protagonists, each side of the Islamic schism now running for quite a few centuries, refuses to accept the other's legitimacy, extremism will continue. It will be just a matter of intensity. Only when both sides accept the other's right to exist, in harmony one would hope, will the extremism end. Catholics and Protestants had a not dissimilar history, so let us not get too holier than thou when viewing the Middle East and Islam.
John Simmonds, Collingwood
Illustration: Michael Leunig
No place for Australia to get mixed up
Richard Bulliet confirms the inanity of Tony Abbott's and Kevin Andrews' call for more Australian ground troops in the Middle East ("Islamic State's real aim is to topple Saudi Arabia", Comment, 25/11 ). Consider this chilling fact: our nation is now, by default, aligned with the Shiites, led by fundamentalist Iran, in the overarching regional conflict with the Sunnis led by our duplicitous ally, Saudi Arabia (whose private donor funding created a Frankenstein monster in Islamic State). As the former head of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Sir Richard Dearlove, has noted, IS control of Sunni-majority provinces in Iraq "did not happen spontaneously": Sunni tribal and communal leaders cooperated with the consent of their shadowy Saudi paymasters. With the exception of support for the honourable Kurds, Australia should disengage from what is a veritable regional "nest of vipers".
Jon McMillan, Mount Eliza
Turkey's wildly reckless act
Turkey's action in shooting down a Russian plane which, at worst, violated their airspace for only minutes without any obvious threatening intent, was precipitous. For the survivors then to be fired upon as they attempted to parachute to safety, and a rescue helicopter to be destroyed was reckless in the extreme. This sequence of Turkish action jeopardises NATO's peaceful coexistence with Russia. For once, I am with Vladimir Putin.
Graeme Noonan, Phillip Island
With allies like this ...
Turkey has proved to be an unreliable ally in the fight against Islamic State. It allowed IS operatives to openly cross the border to Europe. It buys oil supplies from IS and when it started a bombing campaign along with Western Allies, Turkey decided to bomb the Kurds in Syria and not IS. Now the shooting down of a friendly Russian jet fighter puts Turkey squarely in the hands of the Paris terrorists and their IS brothers.
Martin Newell, Melton South
Appearances are deceiving
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad receives subdued and soft criticism in some circles. Yet he has shown over many years that he is capable of monstrous crimes against his own people. You see images of him wearing a neat, tailored suit, white shirt and silk tie. His hair is neatly groomed with product. He is clean-shaven and his black leather shoes full of shine and polish. Maybe his support may not be so gushing if he stood there with a big beard, sandals and loose-fitting traditional robes with head scarf?
Grant Nowell, Cumberland Park, SA
The road to lunacy
An elderly Victorian motorist is driving home. The road is narrow, it twists and turns, rises and falls and by day is much used. But, hey, it is 2.30am, it is traffic-free, an hour since he saw a light. A great idea. While the business world sleeps, he travels; one car the less next day. Silly man, he should have known – authority hates initiative, authority hates independence and authority arrived – in the shape of a policeman. The motorist was breathalysed, questioned as to his starting point and destination and allowed to continue. Subsequently, a VicRoads letter informs him he was "seen driving at 40km/h on a road posted a 60km/h ... passing traffic could have put themselves at risk".
As everyone knows, a motorist driving at 40km/h on a road "posted at 60km/h" must be headed for dementia. The motorist is told to contact a doctor within a week or lose his licence; and while he is at it see an optician and take a driving test. So it's best to do what others do, travel along the Monash Freeway in another traffic jam at 1km/h. (It's posted at 100km/h but authority will overlook it – this time.) Welcome to the Victorian Madhouse.
Gerald Bleasdale, Kyabram
Extend commute choices
Your editorial rightly draws attention to the parlous transport situation for the rapidly expanding suburbs in the Casey area ("Widening the Monash is a smart move", 24/11). The projected extension of the Cranbourne rail line to Cranbourne East should be accelerated and, preferably, extended along the existing disused line to Clyde-Five Ways Road (only a short addition). This would bring rail transport within a few minutes drive – and in many cases a short walk or cycle ride – of the many new houses being built in the Clyde area. If this were done along with widening the Monash Freeway, more travel options would become available for residents in these new developments. This would confirm the government's commitment to meeting varied transport needs and help forestall more congestion on the expanded Monash Freeway.
Philip Bull, Ivanhoe
Fire–trap warning
The problem of road verges applies to all of Eltham and Research ("Road verges 'risk to life' during bushfires", 25/11). The local roads, too narrow in places for cars to pass, are overhung with rubbishy eucalypts and wattles springing up in gutters, and the council does not see fit to require everyone to remove fuel accumulating on their nature strips. The many thousands now living in this large area would have to queue to cross the Diamond Creek and the Yarra River in case of fast-moving fire, with horrifyingly imaginable results.
Margaret Clark, Eltham
Show climate smarts
Yes, Elizabeth Farrelly, many of us feel much happier having a Prime Minister who speaks and acts with intelligence, giving us cause for optimism ("Why Malcolm Turnbull will be our longest-serving PM since Robert Menzies", Comment, 25/11). However, until Malcolm Turnbull shows real leadership by demonstrating intelligent action on climate change, I reserve my judgment. Reversing cuts to the CSIRO and allowing scientists in this organisation to speak honestly, would be a good start.
Jane Lorimer, West Hobart, Tas
Takeover made easy
China likes buying ports, and has just bought the Port of Darwin. China also likes artificial sand islands, which apparently confer sovereignty rights. No doubt China will soon construct a sand island in Fannie Bay. The idea to build a sand island in Hobsons Bay has to be a winner. We should then be able to get a really good price for Melbourne and all that is in it.
But can we speed up the process of cutting our old ties with Britain, and our more recent ties with the US? Let's build a sand island in Lake Burley Griffin and then sell Canberra to China. Then we won't have to worry about democratic responsibilities and elected politicians, the floating (or should I say sinking) currency, the Foreign Investment Review board, capitalism, labour rights, human rights, fishing rights (even in Port Phillip Bay), and all the other things that we have habitually been wasting our time on and stressing about.
Ken Courtis, Golden Square
Attitudes must change
Some things about gender have changed but many have not. Twenty-five years ago I was working at the Domestic Violence and Incest Resource Centre and awareness campaigns were certainly happening and women's services were better funded then. What has not changed is the general sense of male entitlement. Women have more access than ever to wider roles, but that doesn't ensure equality or safety. The language of "respect" obviously has a place, but society still reveres and celebrates masculinity much more than femininity, which is arguably more commodified than ever.
Men's egos and the need to be in control still govern so much about interactions between women and men. And sometimes the acceptance or celebration of masculine power, aggression, violence and revenge in the wider culture does nothing for women's safety, or for diverse masculinity. The violent action figure is the popular cultural hero. Attitudes are where focus is needed. White ribbon symbolism seems worthy but trite in the face of entrenched male entitlement.
Colleen Keane, Montmorency
Non-conformity is not a mental illness
Kath McKay highlights the way mental health services have been used as weapons of punishment and control to amend the behaviour of women when they dare to be "non-compliant" ("My Mum: bashed by dad, but never beaten", Comment, 25/11). As the scope and definitions of mental health diagnoses continue to broaden, it is vital that a clear differentiation is made between illnesses and behaviour that fall outside the expected or preferred patterns.
We can't afford for the health system to be an arm of oppression, as it was for Kath McKay's mother. It is people who have refused to conform that have changed history for the better. We would still have legal slavery today if a few people had not stood up, dared to challenge societal norms, and said "no more".
Pauline Hopkins, Beaconsfield
Bring an end to secrecy What a horrific social period, the 1940s and '50s, Kath McKay depicts when women, like her mother, could be so brutally treated by a husband, then further maltreated by social agencies. That era also had other casualties due largely to gender definitions by church organisations. "Poofter bashing" was a blood sport and as the inquiry into child sexual abuse has shown, many children taken into care, in homes, orphanages and schools run by religious organisations, suffered greatly.
A lesson has to be learnt from the past. When the churches held such a dominant role over social behaviour and "moral" conduct, "wife-bashing" was hidden. Who dared challenge the church? Today everything has to be out in the open, even if some groups or organisations might be offended if named.
Des Files, Brunswick
Not the toy thing again
I can't believe the Greens want to waste a pile of money dredging up the old chestnut of gender and toys ("Greens launch toys inquiry", 26/11). We went through this nearly 50 years ago and guess what, most boys still like balls and cars and most girls still like prams and dolls.
Ian Hudson, Yarrambat
Tune into the origins
Isn't it strange how people will persist in trying to unscramble eggs. Now the Andrews government wants to allow schools to sing carols but not hymns ("Psalm things are off limits at schools, but not Christmas carols", 25/11). Why not accept that Christmas has its origin in the Christian tradition despite the fact that it is a secular celebration for a lot of people. I hate the thought of schoolchildren singing just Jingle bells and Rudolph.
D'Arcy Wood, Gisborne
Just unbelievable
Tom Quinn (Letters, 26/11) says "atheists" are unreasonable to believe there is no god. "Atheism" does not state anything of the sort. It simply does not believe in a god. It is the same as those who don't believe in the tooth fairy. As an atheist and former Christian with an evangelical divinity degree, I don't believe in tooth fairies , but I don't assert that I know that there are none. I just don't believe in them. Should I be called an "afairyist"? The word "atheist" shouldn't even exist.
Les Helix, Cranbourne West
Whose wrath?
How reasonable is it that there are so many religions advocating that their god is the one and only god? I refer to Homer Simpson when he explains his reason for not going to church: "Suppose we've chosen the wrong god. Every time we go to church we're just making him madder and madder."
Cao Phan, Glen Iris
AND ANOTHER THING ...
Politics
Vladimir Putin indicates he doesn't want war over the Turkey/fighter incident; never been the same man since he was shirt-fronted.
Allan Lowry, Brighton East
Whose bright idea was it to give Turkey those jet fighters?
Henry Herzog, St Kilda East
Surplus: 1600 refugees and undesirables. Free delivery includes usual $10 million bonus each. Must go before next election. Inquiries: Coalition, Parliament House, Canberra ("Fifth refugee transferred to Cambodia", 26/11).
Evert de Graauw, Wantirna
Elizabeth Farrelly articulates why the Labor Party should be afraid, very afraid ("Why Malcolm Turnbull will be our longest-serving PM since Robert Menzies", Comment, 25/11).
Bruce Hartnett, Alphington
No sniping. But hand grenades and booby traps are quite OK.
Tony Lenten, Glen Waverley
People forget that coal is a renewable energy. It just takes millions of years to renew. Who said the Liberals had no long-term vision?
Greg Tuck, Warragul
Don't forget, Bill Shorten, where there's smoke, there's ire.
Chris Burgess, Port Melbourne
Other matters
I call for a royal commission into the demolition of heritage homes ("Disposable mansion: the $9.4m renovator's delight", 25/11).
Ian Baker, Castlemaine
There's a sex offenders register – why not a domestic violence offenders register? Shame them.
Des Crowle, Casterton
How sad it is that George Pell will come back to Melbourne to fight, when he could come back to heal.
John Howell, Heathmont
"It is unreasonable to claim that you know there is no God" (Letters, 26/11). Is it also unreasonable to claim that you know there is no Easter Bunny?
Philip Ross, Brighton