Australia: Muslim anger erupts at Costello call to renounce terrorism

The Age ^ | 09/04/06 | Michelle Grattan

[Pikamax]

MUSLIM leaders have lashed out at Peter Costello, after the federal Treasurer called on them to condemn terrorism "unequivocally", and speak out plainly and clearly against radicals in their community.

Mr Costello said they should "make it clear to would-be converts that when you join this religion you do not join a radical political ideology".

But Muslim representatives said last night Mr Costello had not taken notice of what had already been said, and did not communicate with them.

Yasser Soliman, president of the Islamic Family and Childcare Agency in Victoria, said the Government's Muslim Community Reference Group had "pledged loyalty to this country and condemned extremism and terrorism". The Muslim leadership had done this repeatedly.

"Obviously Mr Costello is not in touch with the people he's talking about — he's never bothered to talk with them," he said.

Waleed Aly, board member of the Islamic Council of Victoria, said Muslim community leaders had been "speaking out unequivocally against terrorism pretty loudly and continuously for five years. If the Treasurer hasn't heard that yet, I'm not sure what it will take."

The chairman of the Muslim Community Reference Group, Ameer Ali, said Mr Costello's remarks were "provocative, divisive and mischievous".

Malcolm Thomas, president of the Islamic Council of Victoria, said Muslim leaders did condemn terrorism all the time. The Muslim leadership would like Mr Costello to meet with them. "He's been quite critical of the Muslim community but noticeable by his absence in any engagement," Mr Thomas said.

This is not the first time Muslim leaders have clashed with Mr Costello. They were angered by remarks he made earlier this year about Sharia law and other matters.

The latest Government pressure on Muslim leaders to step up their efforts against radicals comes after Prime Minister John Howard last week drew a sharp reaction from some Muslim leaders when he said a small section of the Islamic population in Australia "is very resistant to integration".

Fully integrating included learning English and treating women as equals.

Mr Costello said he agreed with Mr Howard.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, when asked about Mr Costello's comments, said that "if people choose not to denounce terrorism … that draws attention to them and people wonder why would somebody not renounce terrorism".

Mr Costello told Channel Nine a minority of Muslims had been radicalised, and sought to prey on young people "with a very radical and dangerous ideology".

"It is very, very important that the leadership in Australia are very clear and very precise that this is not really Islam … and that terrorists are always to be condemned."

Some radicals tried to "disassimilate" even those born in Australia, Mr Costello said. "We have seen in this country that would-be terrorists can be born in this country … and can fall under the influence of radicals, be disassimilated and turned to terrorist purposes. This is where we really need the Islamic leadership to stand up and … make it clear that terrorism is never justified under the cover of religion."

Andrew Robb, parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs said some Muslim leaders were their community's "worst enemies" because they fostered a "victim" mentality.

Mr Robb told The Age that the reaction of some Muslim leaders against the PM's comments was "reinforcing" that mentality.

[Howie66]

You got that right!!!

Hence.....the WH was their primary target....they have a ton of "friends" in the House and the Senate.

[yankeedame]

"Muslims have problems everywhere they are found."

Muslims ARE problems everywhere they are found.

=================

Amen!

[American in Israel]

So the entire Muslim leadership are fellow-travelers evn though they themselves would never commit violence.

Of course they would never commit violence, that is what children are for. If all Muslims blew themselves up who would carry on the "traditions"?

[river rat]

"The chairman of the Muslim Community Reference Group, Ameer Ali, said Mr Costello's remarks were "provocative, divisive and mischievous". "

I wonder what this Islamist sonuvabitch would call beheading hostages for Arab Television Prime Time?

Or - Driving hijacked airplanes into building?
Or - Blowing up Churches, School Buses, Pizza Restaurants or street markets?
Or - Hell, you get my drift...

These Islamist bastards truly believe it is their Allah given right to destroy people and no one is entitled to protest, resent, question or discriminate against the bastards.

Well - fine. This sort of action, coupled with their violence all over the world, is putting them on the fast track to EXTINCTION...

THEIRS.

Semper Fi

[Brandie]

"Muslims have problems everywhere they are found."
Muslims ARE problems everywhere they are found.

I sure do agree with you.