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The Australian - August 22, 2007
Fury over Australia’s talks with anti-Islam activist
Richard Kerbaj
Moderate Islamic leaders have attacked Howard Government ministers for meeting anti-Muslim thinker Wafa Sultan, accusing Attorney-General Philip Ruddock and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer of endorsing her view that Islam is evil.
The nation's most senior spiritual Muslim woman, Aziza Abdel-Halim, yesterday also accused the Government of double standards for barring radical Islamic clerics while allowing an equally "dangerous" thinker such as Dr Sultan to stage a secret visit.
"It's very disappointing and very shocking, really," Sister Abdel-Halim told The Australian. "Because on the one hand they claim to be trying to give a chance to the Muslim community to overcome any negative ideas or thoughts among people, and on the other hand, they are promoting people who are agitating and accomplishing division and igniting hatred."
She criticised Julia Gillard for meeting the US-based Dr Sultan, saying the private discussion -- which the Deputy Opposition Leader refused to comment on yesterday -- would reflect negatively on the ALP, which is trying to build bridges with Australia's Islamic community.
This comes after The Australian yesterday revealed that Dr Sultan -- who believes the West has been duped into believing there is a difference between radical and moderate Islam -- had met senior politicians during her two-week secret visit to the country.
It was also revealed that Dr Sultan -- a Muslim Syrian psychiatrist who shot to recognition last year after attacking Islam and Mohammed on al-Jazeera television -- were brainwashed from an early age to believe that Western values were evil.
A former member of John Howard's Muslim advisory committee, Mustapha Kara-Ali, who is openly hostile towards extremism, yesterday attacked Dr Sultan and compared her to former One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. "She's the Middle East's version of Pauline Hanson," he said.
"Her message is one of hate, racism and discrimination and she has no place in Australia. No wonder she had to remain underground while in Australia ... because the Australian public would refuse her message," said Mr Kara-Ali.
But last night the Attorney-General and Foreign Minister defended their meeting with Dr Sultan. Mr Ruddock said she was entitled to express her views. "Australia is a pluralist society," Mr Ruddock said. "People are entitled to express their views. I have defended Muslims' rights to do do this and would defend others." ….
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,22286266-2702,00.html
Herald Sun - August 23, 2007
Australia: Muslim immigration likened to bird flu
By Nick Ralston
Christian Democratic Party (CDP) Senate candidate Paul Green called today for a moratorium on Muslim immigration while a study on its social impacts was carried out.
He said it would be easier to carry out such a study with the country's Muslim population at 300,000, rather than three million at a later date.
A study would also give the Australian people a chance to have a say on the immigration program, Mr Green said.
He said that in the last 12 months, a number of local Muslim senior clerics had made statements that were not of "the Australian nature".
"If there was bird flu coming from a people's group across the nation would we not halt, assess the risk management of what it means to Australia and then assess the factors and then say, is it not safe to continue that or withhold it until it is dealt with," he said.
"We are saying there's cracks in the foundation, we need to address them."
Mr Green said Australia would suffer the same fate as "Britain, France and Holland" unless the study was carried out.
Christian Democrats leader Fred Nile said his party's immigration policy also called on a priority for Christians who have been persecuted, particularly in Muslim countries, to be allowed into Australia……
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22294676-5005961,00.html
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