Category Archives: Australia

Deputy mayor calls for ban on ‘hate preaching’ in proposed Melbourne mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Casey deputy mayor Sam Aziz will seek to impose a planning condition “not to preach hatred from the pulpits” on a proposed Afghan mosque in Doveton.

Despite professing to hate “religious intolerance”, Cr Aziz also suggested that Islam was not a peaceful religion, that the Koran incited hatred and that Islamic terror threats “were not far from home”.

He has backed objections by fundamentalist Christian Catch the Fire Ministries pastor Danny Nalliah, who is rallying against the mosque in Green Street.

Continue reading →

Daniel Nalliah fights Melbourne mosque plan – on the grounds that Islam ‘doesn’t value freedom of religion’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Doveton No Mosque sign

Anti-Islam crusader Daniel Nalliah and his evangelical Christian church are set to fight a plan to build a mosque in the same street.

Mr Nalliah, a pastor at Catch the Fire Ministries, said his church was weeks away from building a $2 million base at 25 Green Street, Doveton.

He recently learnt of a planning application by an Afghan community group to build the Omar Farooq Mosque next door. The church, along with more than 100 petitioners including adjoining residents, will formally object to Casey Council over the mosque proposal.

Continue reading →

Former Test cricketer defends anti-Muslim ‘joke’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Former Test batsman Greg Ritchie has defended himself against claims of racist and anti-Muslim comments at a Brisbane Test luncheon, refusing to apologise and saying: “If they take offence that’s their choice.”

The ex-Australian player and television personality was attacked for using the forbidden “k-word” during a lunchtime speech at the Brisbane Cricket Ground Trust members dining room on day one of the first Test against South Africa on Friday. He also made disparaging remarks about Islamic people in the address, South Africa’s Sunday Times reported.

“I’ve got nothing against the Muslim people,” Ritchie was reported as saying on Friday. “Just this morning I had to try and stop three little Muslim boys trying to break the lock on my car boot. I had to say, ‘Shut up! You’re in there for a reason!'”

Continue reading →

Australian soldiers receive ‘formal reprimands’ over violent, racist Facebook posts about Muslims

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Defence has reprimanded two military personnel and counselled 13 others over violent and racist comments posted on Facebook in the wake of last month’s Islamic protests in Sydney.

The action, which has been welcomed by the Islamic Council of NSW, comes a month after a group of Australian soldiers from Townsville-based 3rd Brigade were caught joking on Facebook about using sniper rifles and machine guns on Muslim men who protested in Sydney on September 15.

Continue reading →

Melbourne: Police investigate fake election leaflet

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Police are investigating a fake council election flyer that claims a Muslim candidate wants to build more mosques in the suburbs. The flyer is purportedly from Moreland Council candidate Mohamed Elrafihi, who is standing for north-east ward.

It says: “I know that like me you believe that it is important to give minorities a voice. That’s why, after speaking to local congregations, I will be advocating for the construction of a Mosque in Moreland. It is important to me that we engage and give voice to our brothers and sisters in Coburg and Fawkner have a palce (sic) where they can pray… It’s time to deliver, time to deliver new Mosques in Moreland.”

Mr Elrafihi, 26, said today he had no such policy, but he believed that thousands of the fake flyers with his name misspelt had been distributed in Fawkner.

Continue reading →

Far right and atheists hold small anti-Islam protest in Melbourne

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Melbourne anti-Islam rally

The cancellation of Saturday’s planned rally in Melbourne against Islamophobia didn’t prevent people turning up to denounce Islam. The small anti-Islam protest brought together atheists brandishing signs reading “(Like all religions) Islam is false” and fascist thugs wearing SS insignia. The latter included Nationalist Alternative, a neo-Nazi group who reject opportunist attempts to win popular support by targeting Islam alone and uphold the right of white Australians to abuse and insult Muslims and Jews equally.

Continue reading →

Dutch foreign ministry puts pressure on Australian government to grant visa for Wilders

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Geert Wilders thinkingThe Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has contacted the Australian authorities over the visa application by Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders.

It is unclear why the visa has not yet been granted. The anti-Islam politician applied for a visa three weeks ago in order to give a series of lectures next month. The employees who would accompany him have already received their visas and the group which invited Wilders to Australia has accused the government of stalling over his application.

Continue reading →

Melbourne anti-Islamophobia protest cancelled

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A key organiser of an Islamic rally to be held in Melbourne on Sunday has cancelled the protest amid fears of a backlash and police concerns it will be overrun by violent activists.

Swaybah Javed, who had helped invite supporters through social networking to a rally outside the city’s State Library, said she’d been forced to scrap the event.

“I am calling off the protest as I do not want more violence on the streets, as Islam does not promote violence,” the university graduate said today. “It is a shameful day for Australia when Islamophobia has boiled over to the point where it is impossible to carry out a peaceful protest.”

Continue reading →

Australia: Senate rejects Greens motion condemning Wilders’ ‘hateful anti-Muslim views’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Richard Di NataleThe Senate has rejected a Greens motion calling on parliament to condemn the “hateful anti-Muslim views” of controversial Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who is seeking an Australian visa for a speaking tour.

Greens senator Richard Di Natale [pictured] said on Thursday it was “critically important” his motion be supported, particularly after last week’s protests in Sydney by members of the Muslim community angry about a US film on Islam.

Continue reading →