The leader of a reclusive Muslim sect has claimed his violent enemies planted severed pig heads at the gates to his ‘religious site’ after he made headlines for refusing to abide by Australian construction laws.
Dr Mustapha Kara-Ali became embroiled in a bitter feud with Hawkesbury Council after it launched civil action against him and his brother Diaa Kara-Ali for carrying out illegal land clearing and earthworks.
The council alleged the men built fences, driveways and structures at their religious retreat in Colo, north of Sydney, without approval.
Dr Mustapha Kara-Ali (pictured) claimed his enemies planted severed pig heads at the gates to his ‘religious site’ after he made headlines for refusing to abide by Australian construction laws
Dr Kara-Ali became embroiled in a bitter feud with Hawkesbury Council after it launched civil action against him and his brother Diaa Kara-Ali for carrying out illegal land clearing and earthworks (damaged sign pictured)
The council alleged the men built fences, driveways and structures at their religious retreat in Colo, north of Sydney, without approval (severed pig head blurred)
Dr Kara-Ali told Tuesday’s A Current Affair his position within a religious charity granted him immunity to compliance to council laws.
‘The council should understand that they are inciting religiously motivated violence against us,’ he told the program.
‘The police should be concerned that there are villains and there are hit squads in the Hawkesbury region that are waging religious violence against a weak, small religious group that wish to be left alone’.
Dr Kari-Ali is the founder of the religious guild Diwan Al Dawla, which bought the Colo property for $670,000 in May last year and began building what it calls the Southern Chariot religious site.
Imam Mustapha Kara-Ali, pictured with one of the more than 30 Arabian horses on his Southern Chariot religious site at Colo, believes all government officials are ‘Crusaders’
Hawkesbury City Council launched civil action against Dr Kari-Ali alleging the men carried out illegal land clearing and earthworks on the site. Pictured is the frame of a horse barn
The Diwan Al Dawla guild is carving a hippodrome out of this hillside at Colo so it can train Arabian horses. The group did not seek development approval from council to construct it
The 12 hectares is home to about 30 Arabian horses which the group intends to use to help troubled Muslim youth, particularly from western Sydney, engage with God.
A shed and two demountable buildings have been erected on the site and a barn is being built. There is also a grove of young trees including olives, figs and walnuts.
The Kara-Ali brothers were absent from their court hearing last month where a lawyer acted on their behalf and they were found guilty.
The court ordered that by the end of this week they were to remove all structures from the property, including signage and the front facade.
This shed on a concrete slab has been built without development approval by the Diwan Al Dawla guild at Colo, north of Sydney. The guild says it does not recognise Australian law
Dr Kari-Ali however claimed he was unaware of the order and was adamant to continue developing his site – he is now facing criminal charges for contempt of court.
He contends Hawkesbury City Council has no power to tell Diwan Al Dawla what to do because it is a ‘basic religious charity’ registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for profits Commission (ACNC).
‘To ask us to be loyal to a religious symbol of another religion is horrendous,’ Dr Kari-Ali said.
Moving forward, the religious leader conceded his group would be open to ‘abide by a secular process of mediation’ when it came to further developing his land.
But he remained adamant while his religious practice would work to meet concerns of the council if they were raised in discussion, it would not seek approval.
Two portable buildings have been erected on the Colo site but Dr Mustapha Kara-Ali says no one lives in them. They are used by workers on the property or sometimes for prayer