Muslim Advisory Group wants Hezbollah taken off terrorist list PRINT FRIENDLY EMAIL STORY
The World Today - Wednesday, 2 August , 2006 12:38:00
Reporter: Gillian Bradford
ELEANOR HALL: The head of the Federal Government's Muslim Advisory Group has accused the Government of following the United States and favouring Israel, in its handling of the Middle East crisis.
Dr Ameer Ali says he is about to write to the Prime Minister to ask him to take Hezbollah off a list of banned terrorist organisations.
Dr Ali says Hezbollah is a legitimate group involved in Lebanese politics and shouldn't be considered in the same league as al-Qaeda.
Dr Ali has been speaking in Canberra to Gillian Bradford
AMEER ALI: Hezbollah is not a terrorist organisation. It's not an organisation like al-Qaeda, which is built on creating wanton violence all over the world.
They are not doing that. It is a part of the Lebanese politics, it's part of south Lebanon, it's a creation of the 1980s massacre in Lebanon by the Israeli Army, and they are in the political game of Lebanon, and therefore they are not a terrorist group.
GILLIAN BRADFORD: You were handpicked by the Prime Minister to head this advisory group. Doesn't this send the message that you condone Hezbollah's actions?
AMEER ALI: Yes, in fact they were, of course... we are of the opinion that the Australian Government does not have an independent foreign policy in regard to the Middle East.
We go along with whatever the Americans say, and the Americans go along with whatever the Israeli lobby says.
So I think we have to look at it objectively, because the personal strategy of trying to destroy Hezbollah and destroy south Lebanon is courting disaster.
It might escalate the violence, and the entire Middle East will be up in flames if we go on with this strategy, so that's why we want to advise the Government, that's not the strategy to follow.
We should now look at it objectively and make the Israelis and the Lebanese come to an immediate ceasefire and start talking. And that's the way to go about it, and not this military solution that they are hoping to achieve.
GILLIAN BRADFORD: Is it a widespread view among Australia's Muslims, that Hezbollah is a legitimate organisation, that they're not terrorists?
AMEER ALI: Yes, it is wide... very, very widespread, not only in Australia. If you take a poll in the entire Muslim world, they will tell you this is not a terrorist group, this is part of the Lebanese politics, and this is the Israeli propaganda that makes the world believe that they are terrorists.
GILLIAN BRADFORD: In it's nearly 25-year existence though, Hezbollah has been responsible for dozens of attacks that have killed hundreds - kidnappings of westerners, suicide truck bombings.
What do you say about those episodes of violence?
AMEER ALI: Most in retaliation to what the Israelis are doing daily. In fact there are thousands of Lebanese who have been arrested, kidnapped in Israeli jails.
Why are we not talking about that? And this... in fact, when these two soldiers were kidnapped, Hezbollah put out a message to exchange for troops, and they want to talk.
And they didn't commit any violence, it was the Israeli Army that took the opportunity to invade the country and start destroying every infrastructure, children, women.
Are they targeting Hezbollah or the entire south Lebanon?
GILLIAN BRADFORD: The other members of the Muslim Advisory Group stand with you on this?
AMEER ALI: I'm sure they will stand with me on this.
GILLIAN BRADFORD: And how are you planning to deliver this advice to the Government? Are you taking it to the Prime Minister?
AMEER ALI: We will write to the Prime Minister, in fact we are trying to send the message to the Prime Minister from the group for first of all, congratulate the Government for what they have done so far, for rescuing the Australians from the Lebanese chaos.
At the same time, we are also advising the Government that we have to change the strategy, we must make these two groups to sit together and talk, and we must try to work out an immediate ceasefire, and try to find a political settlement, not to (inaudible) the solution.
ELEANOR HALL: And that's the head of the Government's Muslim Advisory Group Dr Ameer Ali speaking to Gillian Bradford.
And a short time ago the Prime Minister said there was no way that Hezbollah would be taken off the list of terrorist organisations.
Hey Ameer, Hitler's party was considered political also with the same M.O. -Kill the Joooos-. We killed him and his party and the same will happen to the hesbos unless they renounce violence now.