Ban Extremist Islamic Group?
The Leader of the Christian Democratic Party, the Reverend Fred Nile, called on the Prime Minister, John Howard, to cancel the visa for the radical, Indonesian Muslim Ismail Yusanto, who was a guest speaker at the extremist Islamic group Hizb-Ut-Tahrir Conference at Lakemba on Sunday 28th January, 2007. He said, “Prime Minister John Howard must act urgently to cancel Ismail Yusanto’s visa in order to maintain peace and harmony.”
He was joined by the Premier, Mr. Morris Iemma, the MP for Lakemba where the conference was held, and where he is facing a challenge by Muslim candidates in the state election. Mr. Iemma said, “This is an organization that is basically saying that it wants to declare war on Australia, our values and our people. That is why I believe that they are just beyond the pale. Enough is enough, and it’s time for the Commonwealth to review this organization’s status and take the lead from other countries and ban them.”
Reverend Nile said, “This organization is banned in Europe and the Middle East. It promotes the establishment of a world Islamic State and wants Australia to be ruled by the fanatical Islamic Sharia Law, based on the Koran.” Hizb ut-Tahrir says it is non-violent but it has been proscribed in many Middle Eastern, European and central Asian countries after being deemed a threat to national security.
About 500 people attended the conference at which the Indonesian firebrand cleric Ismail Yusanto outlined his vision for an Islamic super state. He said an Islamic state was coming and that “Western powers will likely attack the newly formed caliphate. We must mobilize for an impending conflict.”
But Prime Minister John Howard said, the government cannot and will not act against the radical Muslim group until it’s shown to have broken anti-terrorism laws, He said that if they break the present anti-terrorist laws or indeed any other laws then they will be dealt with, but until there is sufficient evidence of that, we can’t, or shouldn’t, act.” Over the years there have been calls to ban dozens of organizations and speakers who have been pro-Nazi, pro-communist, pro North Vietnam and so on, but Australians can distinguish between speeches that are stupid, violent and reactionary and those which promote racial hatred and violence on our streets. The referendum to ban communism, for example, was soundly defeated and eventually communism in this country was completely rejected.
The Australian Security Intelligence Organization has been watching Hizb ut-Tahrir but it had been found to have done nothing in Australia to warrant it being banned. Australians can reject these people ideas as dangerous and stupid, but in doing so we must not create the same kind of totalitarian dictatorship these people want to create.
Rev the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes, A.C., M.L.C..