You have to love John Howard

The more I know about John Howard, the more I like. He is beyond a doubt one of my favorite world leaders, and Australia and the West are lucky to have him.

Austrailia's Prime Minister took the occasion of the tenth aniversary of his rise to power to make a few well chosen comments on Islam and Australia..and refused to be intimidated into a retraction.The Daily Telegraph | PM stands by Muslim comments

He said that certain segments of Australia's Muslim population are antagonistic to Australian culture, and that a commitment to jihad and extreme attitudes towards women were two problems unique to Muslims that previous intakes of migrants from Europe and Asia did not have.

Self-evident, I know, but when Mr. Howard came under fire from the usual suspects, he simply stated, without bombast, that it was his "right and duty" to express his thoughts.

"I stand by those comments that there is a small section of the Islamic population in Australia that, because of its remarks about jihad, remarks which indicate an extremist view, that is a problem," Mr Howard told reporters in Sydney.

"It is not a problem that we have ever faced with other immigrant communities who become easily absorbed by Australia's mainstream."

Australians wanted people to assimilate, Mr Howard said.

"We want people when they come to Australia to adopt Australians ways.

We don't ask them to forget the countries of their birth, we respect all religious points of views and people are entitled to practise them but there are certainly things that are not part of the Australian mainstream."

The Prime Minister also expressed concern about Muslim attitudes to women.

"There is within some sections of the Islamic community an attitude towards women which is out of line with mainstream Australian society," he said.

"It needs to be dealt with by the broader community, including Islamic Australia.

"There is really not much point in pretending it doesn't exist."

Well said, Mr. Prime Minister.