AUSSIE MUSLIMS CRITICIZE PM TONY ABBOTT’S POLICIES

Sydney, 4 Jumadil Awal 1436 H/23 February 2015 M (MINA) – Amid escalating anti-Muslim tensions in Australia, dozens of Muslim community leaders and organizations have accused Prime Minister Tony Abbott of bullying the country’s most senior Islamic figure, in his attempts to silence opponents.

“We deplore and denounce the continued public targeting of Muslims through abominable ‘anti-terror’ laws,” the statement, signed by 64 organizations and 42 community and religious leaders, was quoted by Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday, February 22, On Islam quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

“The laws passed in late 2014 have been used to justify opportunistic raids on Muslim homes, have created media and community hysteria where in the majority of cases no crime was committed, and have created distressing and harmful backlash towards Muslims, especially women and children.”

The statement said that they “opposed” the bullying of the nation’s highest Islamic leader, Mufti Ibrahim Abu Muhammad, because of his opposition to Abbott’s attempts to silence criticism.

Abbott has angered the community for criticized the mufti for speaking out against a possible ban on Hizb ut-Tahrir, saying the mufti’s comments were wrong-headed and unhelpful. Dr Abu Mohammed, the leader of Muslims in Australia, has said it would be a “political mistake” to ban the group.

“We strongly oppose Prime Minster Abbott’s politically convenient threats to ‘tackle’ and ‘crack down’ on Islamic groups such as Hizb ut-Tahrir who disavow and have never supported terrorist acts, and whose only ‘crime’ has been to criticise the Abbott Government’s stance towards Muslims domestically and abroad, as they are well within their rights to do,” the statement read.

“We also oppose the bullying of Sheikh Dr Ibrahim Abu Muhammad by Mr Abbott for his criticism of Mr Abbott’s attempts to silence individuals’ and organisations’ legitimate criticisms of his policies.”

Muslims, who have been in Australia for more than 200 years, make up 1.7 percent of its 20-million population. Islam is the country’s second largest religion after Christianity.

In post 9/11-era, Australian Muslims have been haunted with suspicion and have had their patriotism questioned. The anti-Muslim sentiments further increased following recent anti-terror raids, deemed the biggest in Australian history, in which 15 people were arrested from north-western Sydney.

The raids were followed by a huge number of anti-Muslim attacks, including a mosque being defaced in Queensland and direct threats issued against the Grand Mufti of Australia.

Backlash

The community statement comes amid more reports that Muslims are feeling a backlash and are being targeted by the community and authorities. An incident reported by a Muslim woman who was interrogated by police as she waited to pick up her child from the Christian school which she attends is an example of the rising anti-Muslim backlash.

“We unequivocally reject Prime Minister Abbott’s and his party members’ use of language that portrays Muslims and the Muslim community as a security threat,” the Muslim leaders said in the statement.

“This narrative threatens social cohesion as it invites suspicion and ill feeling from members of the broader community. The presence of Muslims in Australia as productive contributors to society is not the exception; it is rather the rule.”

The Muslim leaders added that the use of terms such as ‘radicalisation’ and ‘extremism’ has criminalized the largely peaceful Muslim community “We deplore the undefined and politically expedient use of the words ‘radicalisation’ and ‘extremism’ to criminalise legitimate political discourse and critique of the Government’s policies by members of the Muslim community,” they wrote.

The statement was released ahead of Abbott’s address to parliament scheduled on Monday to outline changes to the nation’s national security framework. It is believed that it will include moves to strip Australians with dual nationalities of their citizenship if they become involved in terrorism.

“We deplore and denounce the continued public targeting of Muslims through abominable ‘anti-terror’ laws,” Muslim leaders wrote.

“The laws passed in late 2014 have been used to justify opportunistic raids on Muslim homes, have created media and community hysteria where in the majority of cases no crime was committed, and have created distressing and harmful backlash towards Muslims, especially women and children.” (T/P011/P3)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)