We urgently need Islamic leaders in Australia to make it socially unacceptable for radicalism to foment within their communities.

State and federal law reforms can help, but are insufficient on their own. Cultural change making it not ok to preach (and practice) anti-Semitism must be the solution, but it won’t happen without leadership.

While many Australian Islamic community leaders hold diverse views, unfortunately not enough of them are prepared to unreservedly call out extremists.  

This week the Lebanese Muslim Association, Brotherhood Masjid and their affiliated mosques, predominantly in Western Sydney, released a ‘United Muslim community statement’ headlined: ‘we condemn the hypocrisy over nurses controversy’, in reference to the two NSW Health workers, Ahmad Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, who were stood down for suggesting they would kill Israelis who sought treatment at their hospital in Bankstown.

‘The nurses’ comments, while regrettable, were emotional and hyperbolic, not reflective of real intent’, the letter claimed. It went on to state that ‘the most revealing aspect of this controversy is not the video itself but the speed, intensity, and uniformity of response from certain political leaders and media outlets’.

That’s the most revealing aspect of what happened?

The letter also denied anti-Semitism was at play: ‘The framing of this incident as ‘anti-Semitic’ follows a well-documented pattern of gaslighting by powerful Zionist lobby groups’, the letter argued. Finally, it urged ‘the Australian public to see through this manufactured moral panic’.

If those who signed this letter honestly believe what is happening to the Australian Jewish community at the moment is nothing more than ‘manufactured moral panic’, what chance is there that they will use their leadership positions to quash radicalism in their own communities?

‘The nurses’ comments, while regrettable, were emotional and hyperbolic, not reflective of real intent’, the United Muslim community statement claimed.  The two nurses, Ahmad Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, are pictured above 

The prominent Lakemba Mosque (above) was one of the supporters of the United Muslim community statement

The prominent Lakemba Mosque (above) was one of the supporters of the United Muslim community statement

 It is grossly irresposible statements like these that give political and religious justification to the very serious anti-Semitism crisis we are facing in Australia.

Few politicians have the courage to call it out publicly because they are worried about being accused of Islamophobia.

These Islamic ‘leaders’ didn’t unite to condemn the actions of Hamas on October 7. In fact some high-profile religious leaders in Australia even welcomed the attack.

These same Islamic leaders didn’t come together to condemn the October 9 Sydney Opera House ‘F*** the Jews’ rally.

It is important Australians of any faith do not use conflicts overseas to justify bad actions here, lest we import the problems that underpin overseas conflicts. When that happens, Australia changes in a way few would want.

Improving social cohesion domestically should be the goal, whatever disagreements exist about what is happening abroad.

Our politicians are too worried about their own seats and the risk of a backlash in some electorates – especially western Sydney – if they do seek to stamp out what’s happening. It is political cowardice, nothing more.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has been a rare exception, showing considerable bravery in confronting some of the worst examples of what is going on.

However, Anthony Albanese and Jacinta Allan lack the guts (or philosophical willingness) to properly call out Islamic anti-Semitism, thus making it clear mainstream Australians won’t tolerate such hatred of Jews and non-Muslims alike.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has been a rare exception, showing considerable bravery in confronting some of the worst examples of what is going on, writes Peter van Onselen

NSW Premier Chris Minns has been a rare exception, showing considerable bravery in confronting some of the worst examples of what is going on, writes Peter van Onselen

Claiming victimhood for the Islamic community when Jewish Australians are being threatened and attacked for no reason other than because they are Jewish needs to be called out.

How many Jews are trying to harm Muslims in Australia? How many Rabbis have preached hatred against the Islamic community? How many mosques have Jews graffitied? How many celebrations have the Jewish community organised in response to Israel’s victory over Hamas or Hezbollah? How many Jewish doctors or nurses have refused to treat Islamic patients or even worse threatened to kill them?

The answer to all of these questions is of course none.

Why haven’t more Islamic leaders condemned the targeting of Jewish leaders? Many of whom have had to take additional security precautions as a result of the incidents of anti-Semitism we are witnessing on an ongoing and all too frequent basis.

The co-CEO of the Executive Council of Jewry Alex Ryvchin’s former home was graffitied and cars out the front were fire bombed.

Former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has stated publicly that he has been threatened on a number of occasions. 

I have friends who have had their property damaged for no other reason than being Jewish.

There are extremely dangerous double standards allowing radicalism in pockets of Australia’s Islamic community to fester and widen, which must be urgently addressed before someone is killed.

If the Albanese Government genuinely wants to promote tolerance it must immediately stop funding radicalism in pockets of the Islamic community, and it must cancel all funding to radical mosques (which is too many of them) and radical preachers who spread hate.

Funding extremism inadvertently promotes it, and we will all pay a high price for that.

When the anti-Semitism we are now witnessing in this country is dismissed as just ‘manufactured moral panic’, you know we have a serious problem that needs addressing.

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