Religious rites and wrongs

By ALEC SMART

Christians and Muslims united in a rare show of solidarity as religious rights campaigners picketed KIIS 1065 FM Radio Station on Monday 23 September. Angry protestors targeted the KIIS FM North Ryde studios after controversial ‘shock-jock’ DJ Kyle Sandilands made ‘blasphemous’ comments live on the Kyle and Jackie O Show the previous Thursday, which questioned the virginity of Jesus Christ’s mother Mary.

Sandilands, who apologised the following day, said, “I thought Mary was his girlfriend but apparently it was the mother. And the mother lied obviously and told everyone, ‘Nah, I got pregnant by a magical ghost’. Bullshit! Someone chock-a-blocked her behind the camel shed!”
To further inflame the provocation, he added: “You might believe everything that’s written down 2,000 years ago to be absolutely accurate and good on you, you’re dumb. Dumb as dog shit.”
Video footage of the comment was shared to Instagram by KIIS FM, but hastily withdrawn when complaints from incensed listeners began rolling in.

Virgin Mary accused of having sex
Charlie Bakhos, manager of the Christian Lives Matter’s Facebook page, posted a video online expressing his disgust at Sandilands. “You offended Christians, Muslims, people of faith. You called the mother of our lord, Jesus Christ, names. You accused her of having sex. You offended many, many people today and we’re not going to let this go.”
Muslims, although they don’t accept Jesus was the son of God, revere him as a prophet and accept his conception was achieved virginally through Mary’s liaison with a spirit of God. Mary is mentioned more frequently in the Quran than the Bible – two whole chapters are dedicated to her – and venerated as the highest position in Islam among all women.

Kyle Sandilands is no stranger to controversy. Like his fellow ‘shock-jock’, Alan Jones, he courts and side-steps it like rugby player James Tedesco outfoots opponents on the playing field. In the past this has resulted in several suspensions and, like Jones’ recent insult calling on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to choke the NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with a sock, caused advertisers to withdraw financial backing.

Sandilands most controversial suspension came in August 2009 after he attached a 14-year-old girl to a lie-detector on-air and then asked her about her sexual experiences. When the young girl revealed she’d been a victim of rape, Sandilands asked “Right. Is that the only experience you’ve had?”
Despite the suspension, the Kyle and Jackie O Show maintained their number-one ratings, and the program grew in popularity.
This suggested its audience were apparently unfazed by a powerful man belittling a little girl’s rape ordeal. However, when it comes to religion, making a blasphemous remark is unacceptable.

Folau sacked, Sandilands next?
Georgie Clark, leading the demonstration outside the KIIS FM studio, announced in a video release, “Israel Folau can get sacked for discriminating against the LGB community, how come Kyle isn’t accountable for the same reason? Just remember that commercial radio have [sic] a Code of Conduct. Clause 214, everyone read up about it, about discrimination against religion. He should be accountable for it.”

Clark also told the Daily Telegraph, “’Kyle from 106.5 KIIS FM went and discriminated against not only one religion but two. What is the difference between offending a homosexual or a thief or a liar or an adulterer or a fornicator like Israel Folau did? But when it comes to religion they just want to sweep us under the carpet.”

Coincidentally, Israel Folau, sacked from the national Wallabies’ rugby union team for making anti-homosexual comments on social media – he insisted gay people were sinners who would face damnation unless they repented – is back in the news this week.
The rugby star, banned from international rugby union, plans to return to international rugby league playing for the Tongan national team.
Alan Jones stepped up to Folau’s defence again, stating on 24 September: “Any person in any form of administration is trying to stop him playing. He must be some kind of criminal, is he? What has Israel done except profess his Christian faith?”

Sandiland’s radio partner at KIIS FM, Jackie ‘O’ Henderson, who co-hosts the top-rating morning program Kyle and Jackie O Show, when discussing how they defected from 2Day Fm to Mix 1065 FM, told Mumbrella: “Thank God for Kyle, because he makes these big moves. He would be great in Survivor, he really would. He makes big moves and he does it for self-preservation and it’s worked every time.”
However, this time he may have bitten the hand that feeds, because he offended Alan Jones’ bedrock supporters – the conservative, religious right – which usually excuse the verbal vomits Sandilands and Jones dish up to provoke the liberal left.
And they don’t take kindly to being called “dumb as dog shit,” not even Jones.