Muslim leaders have demanded an apology from Prime Minister Scott Morrison for describing radical Islamism as Australia’s greatest threat in the wake of the Melbourne terrorist attack.
Mr Morrison made the comments after Somali terrorist Hassan Khalif Shire Ali crashed a ute filled with gas cylinders on Bourke Street in the city centre before fatally stabbing Italian-born cafe owner Sisto Malaspina and subsequently being shot dead by police.
‘We would be kidding ourselves if we did not call out the fact that the greatest threat to religious extremism in this country is the radical and dangerous ideology of extremist Islam,’ the Prime Minister told reporters.
Moderate and hardline Muslim leaders have demanded an apology from PM Scott Morrison for describing Islamist ideology as Australia’s greatest threat (Melbourne’s Bourke St pictured)
Mr Morrison (pictured) held a media conference after Somali terrorist Hassan Khalif Shire Ali crashed ute in Melbourne’s city centre and fatally stabbed cafe owner Sisto Malaspina
Kuranda Seyit, the executive director of the Forum on Australia’s Islamic Relations, hit back on Monday and described Mr Morrison’s weekend comments as ‘irresponsible’.
‘Let’s call this out for what it really is. It’s political expediency and it’s timely to try and create a wedge between the Muslim community and the broader community,’ he told the Seven Network on Monday.
‘This is why the Prime Minister’s comments are out of line. I think that’s a shame. It really undermines the great work that we’ve been doing.’
Scott Morrison told reporters thE Melbourne terrorist attack (Hassan Khalif Shire Ali pictured on Bourke Street) showed the need for Muslim leaders to stop ‘dangerous teachings’
Kuranda Seyit (pictured), the executive director of the Forum on Australia’s Islamic Relations, told Sunrise Mr Morrison was ‘irresponsible’
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson (pictured) said Islamic extremism needed to be called out and suggested immigrants be forced to wait eight, instead of four years, to become citizens
Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, which has a draft constitution calling for the death of ex-Muslims and is banned in many Muslim countries, responded to the Prime Minister by slamming Western societies.
‘PM Scott Morrison has asked Muslims to call out dangerous ideologies when it comes to terrorism,’ the group’s spokesman Uthman Badar told his 18,782 Facebook followers.
‘I’d like to oblige and call out the dangerous ideology of secular liberalism.
‘The violent exploits abroad of this extreme ideology are well known—wars, invasions, propping up dictators, wreaking political and economical havoc of an enormous scale on weaker nations.’
Hizb ut-Tahrir spokesman Uthman Badar (pictured) linked terrorist attacks with Western foreign policy
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said the recent attacks meant immigrants should be forced to wait eight, instead of three years, to become citizens.
‘We do not give out citizenship for eight years and then for a further 10 years after that, they can’t get rid of their dual citizenship,’ she told Sunrise on Monday.
‘If they are incompatible with our culture and way of life, send them back to where they come from.’
Hijab-wearing Muslim activist Hanan Dover also sought to turn the accusations back on to politicians.
‘Australian federal politicians won’t get rid of extremist and radical elements within Parliament who continue making deliberate and conscious decisions traumatising and /or killing asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island,’ the psychologist said.
Hijab-wearing Muslim psychologist Hanan Dover suggested politicians who supported the detention of asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island were ‘extremist’ and ‘radical’ elements
Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, which has a draft constitution calling for the death of ex-Muslims, responded to the Prime Minister by slamming Western societies
Muslim psychologist Hanan Dover described Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s comments as ‘disgraceful’