As most of you know I am a Christian and was raised a Catholic. However I truly believe in a society where all are free to practice whatever religion they choose, provided they abide by and respect our laws.

I also believe a religion should lead by example, especially if they want another country to respect or recognise their own holy days and religious ceremonies.The muslim community which respesents 1.5% of our population (according to the 2001 census) are now asking for Australia to observe and respect their holy days and ceremonies and are asking that Australia observe other religious ceremonies and holy days of religions other than christianity including jewish holy days.

I have no problem with this, where their own religion, permits what they themselves are expecting to happen here, allows this in their own demographic areas. I doubt very much that many of following list of the 50 most populous muslim countries recognise, observe or even permit Jewish, Christian or any other faith at all other than Islam let alone observe or respect their holy days and religious ceremonies or allow religious schools to operate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Muslim_majority_countries

So until the countries, where Islam is the majority religion, permit all religions to operate freely, have schools of other religious beliefs, permit all to choose their own religion withour fear of death due to converting to a religion other than Islam, I am against our own country observing those Holy Days and Ceremonies.