Recently in Australia Category

We need a few politicians like this in the U.S. "Australian MP Calls For Egypt’s Ambassador To Be Called In Over Coptic Persecution," from the Australian Coptic Movement, May 11 (thanks to Jonah):

Mr Laurie Ferguson MP, Federal Member for Werriwa has written to the Australian Coptic Movement Association (ACM) confirming that he requested Senator the Hon. Bob Carr, Minister for Foreign Affairs to call in the Egyptian Ambassador following ongoing attacks on Copts in Egypt.

Below is an excerpt from Mr Ferguson’s letter to Senator Bob Carr:

“I appreciate the seriousness of calling in an Ambassador to indicate Australia’s concerns about particular issues. However, events in Egypt appear to demand such action.

On April 14th I attended a sizeable rally in Sydney’s Martin Place with a significant number of NSW and Commonwealth parliamentarians in the aftermath of violent attacks on mourners at Cairo’s St Mark’s Cathedral”.

The ACM welcomes Mr Ferguson’s stance and we look forward to a prompt response from the Senator Hon. Bob Carr. We also demand that the Australian Government immediately makes strong representations on this serious issue at the United Nations.

It is quite clear that The Egyptian government has not only failed to take appropriate action to afford protection to Egypt’s vulnerable Coptic community but also directly participated in the persecution.

We are also deeply concerned over the welfare of 24 year Demiana Nour. She has been held by Egyptian police in Luxor since 8 May 2013 under ‘defamation of religion’ charges. Demiana is a young teacher who was merely undertaking her teaching duties.

We demand that the Egyptian authorities immediately release Demiana and all Copts who have been have been charged under flimsy ‘defamation of religion’ charges.

He doesn't recognize the authority of non-Muslims. Pamela Geller asks the key question: "My question is, why would anyone who regarded their system of governance (no matter how savage) superior to the country in which they are living -- be allowed to remain? It is treason. They should be thrown out."

"Accused rioter Mohammed Issai Issaka berated in court after refusing to stand for Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge," by Peter Bodkin for The Daily Telegraph, May 20 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

A MAN accused of rioting during last year's violent Muslim protests has been berated for his "disrespect" after refusing to stand before a magistrate at his court hearing.

Mohammed Issai Issaka, who was charged with riot, assaulting police and resisting arrest over the September incident, this morning said his religious beliefs stopped him for rising for the court - the standard practice whenever a judge or magistrate enters or leaves.

Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge repeatedly demanded Issaka stand for her, telling him she didn’t accept his refusal.

"You can tell me where it is in his religion that it says he cannot stand," she said to Issaka's lawyer, Stephen Hopper.

"I was a magistrate at Bankstown Court for four years and I have never had to deal with such disrespect."

The hearing had to be postponed for nearly half an hour after the prosecution and defence consulted Ms Milledge, with the case eventually continuing after Issaka waited outside the courtroom as everyone stood for the magistrate.

Constable Allan Simon, who helped arrest Issaka during the CBD protests, told the court he first noticed the man take a "boxer stance" in front of a police line, where he was "jerking backwards and forwards" and "hissing" at the officers' dogs.

He said he next saw the accused rioter about 15 minutes later when he was violently lashing out at riot squad police.

"There was like a running jump-kick at the (officers') shields and he was punching the shields," he said.

Constable Simon said three officers brought Issaka to the ground but he continued resisting them and the man kicked him in the knee before he was bundled into a police van.

While in the truck he kept repeating "I have no respect for you guys", the court heard.

Issaka shook his head repeatedly during parts of the constable’s evidence.

Sgt Catherine Sadler said she saw Issaka dragged towards the police van and she heard him yell out: "You’re not a lady, you’re f…ing filth"....

"Why did they not produce four witnesses? Since they produce not witnesses, they verily are liars in the sight of Allah" (Qur'an 24:13).

"Abandoned," Yahoo News Sunday Night, May 12 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

With Dubai emerging as a major stopover point for long haul journeys, five hundred flights a month will deliver over one million of us to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the next year.

Dubai is being promoted as a luxury high-class paradise in the desert, but the reality is brutally different, as Australian Alicia Gali discovered. Gali took a job in the UAE with one of the world’s biggest hotel chains, Starwood. What happened next makes this story a must-watch for every Australian planning on travelling through the region.

Gali was using her laptop in the hotel’s staff bar when her drink was spiked. She awoke to a nightmare beyond belief: she had been savagely raped by three of her colleagues. Alone and frightened, she took herself to hospital. What Alicia didn’t know is that under the UAE’s strict sharia laws, if the perpetrator does not confess, a rape cannot be convicted without four adult Muslim male witnesses. She was charged with having illicit sex outside marriage, and thrown in a filthy jail cell for eight months....

We're constantly told that there are no Muslims, none, zero, zip, nada, in Western countries who hold to the same view of Islam as al-Qaeda and other jihad groups. Yet we constantly also see evidence to the contrary -- but the mainstream media and government officials persist in ignoring the implications of this.

"Australians answer the Syria jihad call," by Paul Maley and Cameron Stewart for The Australian, April 13:

THE number of Australians believed to be fighting in Syria has doubled in less than six months to about 200, and ASIO is concerned that at least 100 are fighting for radical al-Qa'ida offshoot, the al-Nusra Front.

The Weekend Australian understands the Gillard government is preparing to ban al-Nusra, which has emerged as one of the most formidable brigades in the disparate coalition of groups that makes up the Syrian opposition movement.

Senior government sources said last night the listing of al-Nusra as a terrorist organisation under the criminal code was under "active consideration".

Al-Qa'ida in Iraq announced this week it had merged with al-Nusra, also known as Jabhat al-Nusrah, placing it in the top echelon of radical jihadist groups.

The move has deepened fears among security analysts that the opposition to Bashar al-Assad has taken an increasingly Islamic hue, with extremists filling the vacuum left by poorly co-ordinated rebel forces.

In March, Foreign Minister Bob Carr included al-Nusra in the UN sanctions regime targeting terrorist groups, a move that mainly targets funding of the group. "There is evidence that al-Nusra has direct links with al-Qa'ida in Iraq, which supplies it with weapons, recruits and equipment," Senator Carr said at the time.

More alarming though, is the rapid increase in the number of dual Australian nationals who have been drawn to the fighting.

Less than six months ago, security agencies believed about 100 Australian passport holders were participating in the two-year-old conflict, most of whom were Lebanese dual citizens. However, that has greatly increased, with one senior government source saying the current figure was closer to 200. It is understood about 100 of those are fighting with al-Nusra....

And apparently he was planning jihad mass murder in Australia. "Terrorism accused Adnan Karabegovic 'tried to buy gun' before arrest," by Pia Akerman from The Australian, April 8 (thanks to Kenneth):

A MELBOURNE man charged with possessing al-Qa'ida magazines containing bombmaking tips and advice on engaging in violent jihad had been trying to buy a gun before he was arrested for terrorism offences, a court has heard.

Adnan Karabegovic, 24, was charged last year with four counts of collecting documents connected with the preparation of a terrorist act, after the magazines were found on a USB stick at his home during police raids in September.

His committal hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court today heard those counts had been withdrawn and replaced with six counts of the same offence as well as six charges of possessing a thing connected with the preparation of a terrorist act.

Commonwealth prosecutor Daniel Gurvich said the Australian Federal Police's Operation Astley, launched in late 2011, used physical and electronic surveillance to gather evidence against Mr Karabegovic.

He said copies of al-Qa'ida's Inspire magazine were saved in January 2012 to a USB stick, found in Mr Karabegovic's pocket when he was arrested.

The files were saved a few days before he and two friends allegedly hung a banner over a Melbourne freeway saying "Get your troops out of Muslim lands you filthy kafir", and another banner over a building saying "Get your troops out of Muslim lands you dirty convict pigs".

Mr Gurvich said Mr Karabegovic was recorded saying he wanted to make a plan and his intention was "much bigger" than the banners.

In April, he allegedly discussed the "need for action" and said "We've been trying for six months to buy a gun", while in May he discussed how to make a bomb that would ignite a bushfire....

If a church had sent all Muslims out, there would be an international outcry. But no one will take particular note of this, despite the fact that it epitomizes the disdain for non-Muslims and women that runs through all of Islam, and is on a collision course with freedoms we take for granted in the West.

Islamic Tolerance Alert from Australia. "Non-Muslims 'not welcome' at mosque funeral for former policeman," by Yoni Bashan for the Sunday Telegraph, April 7 (thanks to Nick):

MOURNERS were told they were "not welcome" by a cleric at a former policeman's funeral because they were non-Muslims.

The family of Erdinc Ozen, a former police officer and member of the navy reserves, are demanding an apology following the incident at Sydney's Auburn Gallipoli Mosque last month.

Mr Ozen, a Turkish-born Australian who served as a policeman until 2011, died from a brain aneurysm last month.

His brother Tunc said a number of senior police and friends from his fishing club at the Seven Hills-Toongabbie RSL left the service after the unexpected directive from acting president Dr Abdurrahman Asaroglu. Others attending included an 87-year-old World War II veteran and former NSW premier Nathan Rees.

"He told everyone it's a Muslim prayer service, all women and non-Muslims were not welcome and they had to leave the mosque area," Tunc Ozen said.

"All of his friends were not Muslim, so they had to leave - it was a big shock. It upset a lot of people."

Most hurtful for his family was that when it came time to move Erdinc's coffin, his closest friends were not allowed to take part in the proceedings.

"These complete strangers were grabbing my brother's coffin, not his mates, as a result of what this bloke had said," Mr Ozen said.

Mr Ozen has written to the mosque and Turkish consulate demanding an apology.

"He didn't raise any of this with us. There were plenty of opportunities," he said.

"I've spent as much time thanking people for coming as I have apologising to them over what happened."

Islamic Friendship Association president Keysar Trad said: "What was done does not run consistently with our traditions. Our religion teaches us to be compassionate towards people grieving."

Now this should be interesting. Cultural differences? This guy is actually going to claim that he raped because his culture allows for it? His culture as an Afghan is thoroughly Islamic. And the Qur'an allows for the owning of sex slaves -- and slaves, by definition, must act at their master's behest, whether or not they wish to perform the action or not. So sex slavery is essentially an Islamic justification for rape. The Qur'an says:

If you fear that you will not act justly towards the orphans, marry such women as seem good to you, two, three, four; but if you fear you will not be equitable, then only one, or what your right hands own; so it is likelier you will not be partial. (Qur'an 4:3)

This verse is the basis for Islamic polygamy, allowing a man to take as many as four wives, as long as he believes he is able to “deal justly” with all of them. But justice in these circumstances is in the eye of the beholder. Ibn Kathir says this the requirement to deal justly with one’s wives is no big deal, since treating them justly isn’t the same as treating them equally: “it is not obligatory to treat them equally, rather it is recommended. So if one does so, that is good, and if not, there is no harm on him.”

The verse goes on to say that if a man cannot deal justly with multiple wives, then he should marry only one, or resort to “what your right hands own” – that is, slave girls.

The Qur'an commentator Maulana Bulandshahri explains the wisdom of this practice, and longs for the good old days:

During Jihad (religion war), many men and women become war captives. The Amirul Mu’minin [leader of the believers, or caliph – an office now vacant] has the choice of distributing them amongst the Mujahidin [warriors of jihad], in which event they will become the property of these Mujahidin. This enslavement is the penalty for disbelief (kufr).

He goes on to explain that this is not ancient history:

None of the injunctions pertaining to slavery have been abrogated in the Shari’ah. The reason that the Muslims of today do not have slaves is because they do not engage in Jihad (religion war). Their wars are fought by the instruction of the disbelievers (kuffar) and are halted by the same felons. The Muslim [sic] have been shackled by such treaties of the disbelievers (kuffar) whereby they cannot enslave anyone in the event of a war. Muslims have been denied a great boon whereby every home could have had a slave. May Allah grant the Muslims the ability to escape the tentacles of the enemy, remain steadfast upon the Din (religion) and engage in Jihad (religion war) according to the injunctions of Shari’ah. Amen!

This is by no means an eccentric or unorthodox view in Islam. The Egyptian Sheikh Abu-Ishaq al-Huwayni declared in May 2011 that “we are in the era of jihad,” and that as they waged jihad warfare against infidels, Muslims would take slaves. He clarified what he meant in a subsequent interview:

...Jihad is only between Muslims and infidels….Spoils, slaves, and prisoners are only to be taken in war between Muslims and infidels. Muslims in the past conquered, invaded, and took over countries. This is agreed to by all scholars--there is no disagreement on this from any of them, from the smallest to the largest, on the issue of taking spoils and prisoners. The prisoners and spoils are distributed among the fighters, which includes men, women, children, wealth, and so on.

When a slave market is erected, which is a market in which are sold slaves and sex-slaves, which are called in the Qur’an by the name milk al-yamin, “that which your right hands possess” [Qur’an 4:24]. This is a verse from the Qur’an which is still in force, and has not been abrogated. The milk al-yamin are the sex-slaves. You go to the market, look at the sex-slave, and buy her. She becomes like your wife, (but) she doesn’t need a (marriage) contract or a divorce like a free woman, nor does she need a wali. All scholars agree on this point--there is no disagreement from any of them. [...] When I want a sex slave, I just go to the market and choose the woman I like and purchase her.

Right around the same time, on May 25, 2011, a female Kuwaiti activist and politician, Salwa al-Mutairi, also spoke out in favor of the Islamic practice of sexual slavery of non-Muslim women, emphasizing that the practice accorded with Islamic law and the parameters of Islamic morality.

...A merchant told me that he would like to have a sex slave. He said he would not be negligent with her, and that Islam permitted this sort of thing. He was speaking the truth….I brought up (this man’s) situation to the muftis in Mecca. I told them that I had a question, since they were men who specialized in what was halal, and what was good, and who loved women. I said, “What is the law of sex slaves?” 

The mufti said, “With the law of sex slaves, there must be a Muslim nation at war with a Christian nation, or a nation which is not of the religion, not of the religion of Islam. And there must be prisoners of war.”

“Is this forbidden by Islam?,” I asked.

“Absolutely not. Sex slaves are not forbidden by Islam. On the contrary, sex slaves are under a different law than the free woman. The free woman must be completely covered except for her face and hands. But the sex slave can be naked from the waist up. She differs a lot from the free woman. While the free woman requires a marriage contract, the sex slave does not--she only needs to be purchased by her husband, and that’s it. Therefore the sex slave is different than the free woman.”

While the savage exploitation of girls and young women is an unfortunately cross-cultural phenomenon, only in Islamic law does it carry anything approaching divine sanction. Here is yet another human rights scandal occasioned by Islamic law that the international human rights community and the mainstream media cravenly ignore.

"Sex attacker wins right to appeal over cultural differences," by Meagan Dillon for the Herald Sun, April 1 (thank to Blazing Cat Fur):

AN AFGHAN refugee who argued cultural differences led him to rape a drunken girl has won a bid to appeal against a 14-year jail term.

Esmatullah Sharifi, 31, was given a total 11-year non-parole term for two rapes committed within days of each other in December 2008.

Non-Muslim passengers hoping to enjoy pork are out of luck: it isn't enough simply to have non-pork options. Rather, Islamic law must be imposed on everyone, Muslim or non-Muslims. "Pigs can't fly - Qantas bans pork on in-flight menu to respect Islam," by Angela Saurine and Peter Holmes for The Daily Telegraph, April 5 (thanks to Dane):

QANTAS has removed pork from its in-flight menu on flights to and from Europe as a result of its partnership with Middle Eastern airline Emirates.

No food containing pork or pork products will be served on those flights - which now has a stopover in Dubai - because it is strictly forbidden in Islam and is considered "unholy".

All meals offered on the route in first, business and economy classes will also be prepared without alcohol in keeping with the Islamic religion. A note on the Qantas menus on flights in and out of Dubai states that the meals do not contain pork products or alcohol. The airline has also introduced a mezze plate offering traditional Middle Eastern fare in its upper classes and has Arabic translations after in-flight announcements.

A Qantas spokesman said the decision to remove pork, ham and other related food items had had minimal impact on its menu and it was still offering the same meal choices.

"Qantas in-flight catering often reflects the cultural and regional influences of the international destinations we fly to," he said.

"On flights to and from Hong Kong and China, our menus include regionally inspired dishes such as stir fries and to Singapore we have noodle options."

Qantas also offers meals without pork and alcohol on flights to the Indonesian capital Jakarta, which also has a large Muslim population.

Several other airlines which fly from Australia to the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia do not serve pork either.

Virgin Australia does not serve pork on flights to and from Abu Dhabi and all meals that are prepared are halal accredited, with meat prepared in a way prescribed by Islamic law....

As British jihadist Anjem Choudary recently said: "The normal situation is to take money from the kuffar. You work, give us the money, Allahu akbar."

"Halal Easter eggs and cat food: where big money meets religion," by Paul Sheehan for the Sydney Morning Herald, March 28 (thanks to Block Ness):

Cadbury will sell a mountain of chocolates this Easter, as it does every Easter. It has been careful to make sure that its products are certified as halal, even though it is not necessary. Hundreds of companies in Australia do the same. Halal certification has become a big business.

The essence of halal is that any food is forbidden to Muslims if it includes blood, pork, alcohol, the flesh of carnivores or carrion, or comes from an animal which has not been slaughtered in the correct manner, which includes having its throat slit. Food labelled as halal invariably involves the payment of a fee. It does not extend to chocolate but Cadbury lists 71 products which are halal, ranging from Dairy Milk to Freddo frogs to Red Tulip chocolates. The website also states: ''We do not have any kosher-certified products.''

''Cadbury also pay for halal certification on the Easter product range, even though Easter is a Christian celebration and nothing to do with Islam,'' says Kirralie Smith, who runs a website called Halal Choices. The website lists 340 companies in Australia that pay for halal certification, including Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, Franklins, Kellogg's, MasterFoods, Nestle and even Kraft's Vegemite.

Halal Choices has received more than 250,000 visits since Smith, a Christian activist, created the website two years ago to draw attention to the incremental extension of sharia into Australian culture.

''[Cadbury has] a standard letter to people who complain about their halal certification which says they have been assured the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils [which issues halal certifications] are not involved in any illegal activity,'' Smith said. ''They might want to explain the $9 million in fraud involving the Malek Fahd school.''

(Last year the Malek Fahd Islamic School in Sydney was ordered to repay $9 million in state funding which the state and federal governments said had been illegally transferred to the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils. A federal government audit also questioned numerous payments made to AFIC by Islamic colleges in Canberra, Brisbane and Adelaide.)

Halal certification has long been an accepted practice similar to the labelling of food as kosher for Jewish consumers. The website of the Islamic Co-Ordination Council of Victoria states: ''With five office staff, two external food technologists, four sharia advisers and over 140 registered halal slaughtermen/inspectors, ICCV is the largest and the most respected halal certifier in Australia … We have no shortage of manpower. We are ready to serve any company in Australia that is interested in producing halal product (meat and processed food).''

At the World Halal Forum held in Malaysia last April, Australia had 13 delegates. Nestle was a major sponsor, Fonterra another. The forum's website stated: ''Two milestones [at the conference] were the first major steps towards the convergence of halal and Islamic Finance, and recognition of the importance of halal accreditation schemes, especially in the non-Muslim world.''

What troubled Smith was the extensive payments for halal certification for hundreds of products that did not require any halal process. She then discovered examples of overt pressure.

''A wholesale chicken supplier in Perth lost $120,000 a year over three years because he wasn't halal certified,'' she said. ''The chickens he sold had been ritually slaughtered and were halal, but because he would not pay for certification he found all his outlets were forced to boycott him. He was outraged and held out for three years but had to give in to save his business. … Isn't that illegal?''

Halal mainly involves meat. Much of the non-meat food supply is intrinsically halal, and thus does not require certification, including milk, honey, fish, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and grains. Yet many producers and suppliers of such products pay for halal certification.

''I emailed Capilano Honey after I discovered they were paying for halal certification,'' Smith said. ''This was their response: 'While we appreciate that honey is considered halal under Islamic law, it is our customer's requirement to provide halal certification in order for us to conduct business with them.' This sounds like extortion to me. And why does nearly every fresh loaf of bread you buy in a supermarket or fast food chain have a paid halal certification? I have a list of 23 pages of halal certificates for breads.

''Parmalat have a huge list of halal-certified products, most of them being the white milk you buy in supermarkets. White milk does not need to be certified. They don't mark their labels and now they have removed the certificates from their website because of negative feedback.

''Purina Fancy Feast cat food is now on the list of halal-certified foods. Are cats becoming Muslim? Or is a lot of this just a money-making scheme?''

Geert Wilders went to Australia and the whole country was in an uproar, with venues canceling left and right -- there has been considerably less concern over this. "Extremists being invited here: Bernardi," from NineMSN.com, March 12 (thanks to all who sent this in):

Liberal senator Cory Bernardi has slammed an upcoming Islamic conference which he says will feature "extremists and purveyors of hate".

The three-day Australian Islamic Peace Conference is billed as the "largest, the biggest and the best-ever Islamic event in the history of Australia" and will kick off this weekend in Melbourne.

Conference organisers, the Islamic Research and Educational Academy, have come under fire for inviting Saudi cleric Abdul Rahman al-Sudais.

Al-Sudais has in the past reportedly called for violent jihad and for the annihilation of Jews.

Senator Bernardi says other speakers who have been invited to the conference are noted for their support of Osama bin Laden.

"It's hard for even the stoutest defender of freedom of speech to defend the poison that is peddled by this lot," he told parliament on Tuesday, adding that a number of speakers were extremists and preachers of hate.

A spokeswomen for Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor said al-Sudais had not yet applied for a visa to visit Australia....

"There's really no such thing as just Sharia, it's not one monolithic Continuum - Sharia is understood in thousands of different ways over the 1,500 years in which multiple and competing schools of law have tried to construct some kind of civic penal and family law code that would abide by Islamic values and principles, it's understood in many different ways..." -- Reza Aslan

Not really.

An update on this story. "Men accused of flogging followed sharia, court told," by Stephanie Gardiner for the Sydney Morning Herald, March 1:

''NEXT time you think about picking up a drink you will remember this pain.''

With these words, Wassim Fayad finished administering 40 lashes with an electrical cord across the back of Muslim convert Cristian Martinez, helping the Sydney man to quit drugs and alcohol.

A court heard that Fayad and three other men - Zakaryah Raad, Tolga Cifci and Cengiz Coskun - claimed they were following sharia when they held Mr Martinez down and whipped him on the back in the middle of the night.

Mr Martinez vomited during the attack and pleaded for mercy: ''Can you stop this? Stop what you're doing?''

Fayad told his victim he loved him and it was for his own good.

The whipping took place in a western Sydney townhouse in July 2011. In what is believed to be the first case of its kind in Australia, the four men were convicted on Thursday of assault and other charges.

''Until now, assaults occasioned in the course of a religious practice involving mortification of the flesh have not been before any court in any common law country,'' the magistrate Brian Maloney told Burwood Local Court.

A statement tendered in court from Sheikh Omar El Banna, the imam of the Omar mosque in Auburn, said the whipping was not sanctioned or authorised by the community.

When Mr Martinez went to the sheikh for advice, he was told: ''This is ridiculous. You can't apply this ruling, this is wrong. This isn't what should be happening.''

The founder of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia, Keysar Trad, said he was pleased the court did not treat the case as a trial of the religion.

''The Islamic faith does not allow any person to take the law into their own hands. Muslims cannot perpetrate a crime and have no right to punish anyone,'' Mr Trad said. ''[The men] must have a very active imagination. They should not blame religion when things get out of hand.''

"Muslims cannot perpetrate a crime" -- spoken like a true Islamic supremacist, disclaiming responsibility for every act of violence Muslims do in the name of Islam and Sharia. And they "have no right to punish anyone"? Consider the case of apostasy. Islamic law stipulates, according to a Shafi'i manual of Islamic jurisprudence, that one who has reached puberty and is sane and voluntarily leaves Islam "deserves to be killed." Only the caliph is authorized to kill him, and "if somebody else kills him, the killer is disciplined." However, "there is no indemnity for killing an apostate...or any expiation, since it is killing someone who deserves to die" (Reliance of the Traveller, o8.1-5). In other words, one shouldn't arrogate to oneself the right to administer this Sharia punishment, but if one does, there is no penalty.

The court heard that Mr Martinez drank and took drugs on July 15 and 16, before he called Fayad to ask for guidance.

Fayad said: ''Yeah, it means I'm going to tie you up, brother, that's what I'm going to do.''

Fayad called Raad and told him to go to Mr Martinez's house, where Raad sent Fayad a message saying something like: ''Allam, the sharia bring right material. It's important.''

Fayad, Cifci and Coskun then joined Raad at Mr Martinez's house late on July 16 and Fayad whipped him while the others held him down.

''Mr Fayad assured Mr Martinez that the last 20 lashes won't be so bad, and told [him] that he loves him, that he wants him to be a good person and the way he's going, he's ruining his life,'' Mr Maloney said.

Mr Martinez said he consented to the first, 11th and 21st lash, but Mr Maloney found that he had withdrawn his consent.

Raad was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company, stealing and two counts of intimidation, while the others were convicted of the assault and stealing charges, related to a CCTV hard drive they took from Mr Martinez's home. The men will be sentenced in June.

I am confident that Imam Rauf is jetting over to Australia as we speak, so as to explain to these four Misunderstanders of Islam that Sharia is completely benign and fully compatible with Western notions of human rights.

"Four men found guilty of sharia law whipping," from AAP, February 28:

FOUR men who took part in the whipping of a Muslim convert as punishment under sharia law for him drinking alcohol and taking drugs have been found guilty of assault in Sydney.

Christian Martinez, 32, was whipped with an electric cord at his home in Silverwater in Sydney's west between July 16 and 17 in 2011.

His mentor, Wasim Fayed, was accused of carrying out the whipping as punishment under sharia law, while the other three men held Mr Martinez down on his bed.

Fayed, 44, along with Zakaryah Raad, 21, Tolga Cifki, 21, and Gengiz Coskin, 22, pleaded not guilty to charges of assault occasioning bodily harm, causing harm in company and stealing.

Fayed also faced two charges of intimidation.

Magistrate Brian Maloney convicted the men in Burwood Local Court today.

He will sentence them at a later date.

As Fayed left the court and was bundled into a car, he told reporters, "I love him for the sake of Allah," referring to Mr Martinez.

"Moreover, freedom in America is indivisible from the freedom to practice one's religion. That is why there is a mosque in every state in our union, and over 1,200 mosques within our borders. That's why the United States government has gone to court to protect the right of women and girls to wear the hijab and to punish those who would deny it." -- Barack Obama, Cairo, June 4, 2009

But who will go to court, in the U.S. or Australia or anywhere else, to protect the right of women and girls not to wear the hijab and to punish those who would deny it?

"Teachers at Islamic College of South Australia's West Croydon campus ordered to wear hijab or face sack," by Bryan Littlely in The Australian, February 11 (thanks to Kenneth):

An Adelaide Islamic school wants its teachers to wear the hijab for school functions, or they could be sacked.

SOUTH Australia's biggest Islamic school has warned teachers, including many non-Muslims, that they will lose their jobs if they do not wear a hijab to school functions and outings.

Up to 20 non-Muslim female teachers, who do not wish to be named, have been told they will be sacked from the Islamic College of South Australia's West Croydon campus after three warnings if they do not wear a headscarf to cover their hair.

The order, from the school's governing board and chairman Faruk Kahn, contradicts the policy of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils.

Mr Kahn yesterday referred The Advertiser to AFIC for comment on the matter. "I have no comment ... I think you better go to AFIC, they are the only ones that are to make comment," Mr Kahn said.

School principal Kadir Emniyet did not return calls.

AFIC assistant secretary Keysar Trad said the policy was at odds with the national federation, but it was powerless to intervene.

"I'm aware there's a policy at that school with respect to the scarf," Mr Trad said.

"The AFIC policy is not to require any teacher to observe the hijab. In SA, the board itself has decided they want to operate in their way and we are not allowed to interfere in the matter.

"We maintain that staff should dress modestly but not be required by the nature of policy to wear the hijab."

Mr Trad said that matters of unfair dismissal resulting from teachers disobeying the school's hijab policy should be referred to Fair Work Australia.

"It's confusing for our children to see their teachers wearing the scarf in school and then they take it off when they are out shopping and the children see them there," he said.

"It is also a respect thing for our staff. If they are not Muslim they should not be forced to dress as Muslim."

One long-term teacher at the Islamic College of SA said a new school board was now "forcing teachers to put hijabs back on".

"There's no discussion ... you wear it or you're fired," the teacher said. "The teachers have always adhered to the policies and we are respectful of that.

"We are respectful of their religion but they are not going to respect us."

Ain't that always the way.

Sergio Redegalli, the fearless Australian sculptor who originated the "Say No to Burqas" mural, keeps finding it defaced by Leftists and Islamic supremacists, and keeps repainting it. Here is the latest version:

This refers to the Australian media silence and/or obfuscation of recent Muslim riots in the country -- which is the same as media silence and obfuscation of Muslim riots in France and elsewhere.

How did Sheikh Al-Wahwah get the crazy idea that jihad had to do with armies? Doesn't he know it's just about getting in shape, as Hamas-linked CAIR assures us?

"Ship out Sheik Ismail Al-Wahwah, says Queensland Liberal MP Steve Ciobo," by Henry Budd for The Daily Telegraph, January 11 (thanks to all who sent this in):

A RADICAL sheik who has called for Australia to become an Islamic state ruled by sharia law should be "slapped down" by moderate Muslims, according to a federal MP.

Sheik Ismail Al-Wahwah, the Australian head of extremist Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir, suggested during a Christmas Eve sermon that jihad should be used to implement hardline teachings.

Queensland Liberal MP Steve Ciobo said the sheik should adopt Australia's values of tolerance and a fair go for all or "pack up and ship off".

"Frankly, we have had a gutful of people who deliberately incite hatred and people who want to overturn the foundation principles of this country," he said. "This Sheik Al-Wahwah needs to be slapped down from moderate Muslim supporters who recognise there is no place in Australia for these kinds of attitudes."The sheik told supporters it was their duty to "carry the light of Islam to the rest of the world ... Not with flowers. It was the army of Muslims which started from Medina, and they went to China, India, and the Maghreb.

"That is jihad."

He said under an Islamic government, alcohol would be banned, a strict dress code enforced for all Australians and languages other than Arabic banned in schools....

"Out of context"? Sheesh. All these years and they still fall back on that tired dodge? Isn't there anyone in the Islamic Supremacist Talking Points Factory who can come up with anything new and more convincing?

"No merriness here: mosque puts fatwa on Christmas," by Natalie O'Brien for the Sydney Morning Herald, December 23 (thanks to all who sent this in):

THE Lakemba Mosque has issued a fatwa against Christmas, warning followers it is a ''sin'' to even wish people a Merry Christmas.

The religious ruling, which followed a similar lecture during Friday prayers at Australia's biggest mosque, was posted on its Facebook site on Saturday morning.

The head imam at Lakemba, Sheikh Yahya Safi, had told the congregation during prayers that they should not take part in anything to do with Christmas.

Samir Dandan, the president of the Lebanese Muslim Association, which oversees the mosque, could not be reached for comment on Saturday.

The fatwa, which has sparked widespread community debate and condemnation, warns that the "disbelievers are trying to draw Muslims away from the straight path".

It also says that Christmas Day and associated celebrations are among the "falsehoods that a Muslim should avoid ... and therefore, a Muslim is neither allowed to celebrate the Christmas Day nor is he allowed to congratulate them"....

The fatwa quotes the teacher Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim as saying that congratulating disbelievers for their rituals is forbidden, and if a "Muslim who says this does not become a disbeliever himself, he at least commits a sin as this is the same as congratulating him for his belief in the trinity, which is a greater sin and much more disliked by Almighty Allaah than congratulating him for drinking alcohol or killing a soul or committing fornication or adultery”....

And then: "Christmas wish appears in sky over mosque," from ABC News, December 23:

The Lebanese Muslim Association says it arranged for a Christmas wish to be written in the sky above the country's biggest mosque, in response to reports it had banned Muslims from wishing people a happy Christmas.

Over the weekend, a message appeared on the Facebook page for Lakemba Mosque, saying that Muslims were forbidden from taking part in Christmas traditions or wishing people a merry Christmas.

The entry implied it was a fatwa, or Islamic ruling, and was based on a lecture given at the mosque during Friday prayers.

The Lebanese Muslim Association, which runs the mosque, says the comments were taken out of context and the group harbours no anti-Christmas sentiment.

Samier Dandan from the the Lebanese Muslim Association says a junior staff member of the association copied and pasted text from another website that the mosque had not endorsed.

"From our perspective this is an innocent mistake done by a youth member who's employed by this organisation," he said.

"We are basically not going to apologise for what I perceive to be an innocent mistake, which is not necessarily reflective of the true mindset and belief of this organisation."

This afternoon, the organisation arranged to have the words "Merry Xmas" written in the sky above Lakemba Mosque....

But the earlier report said that "the head imam at Lakemba, Sheikh Yahya Safi, had told the congregation during prayers that they should not take part in anything to do with Christmas." Is Sheikh Yahya Safi a "youth member" and "junior staff member" also?

It's a "Peace" conference, but that word doesn't mean the same thing to its organizers that it does to Westerners. Here is one of al-Sudais's sermons, from MEMRI:

"Brothers in faith, what do our Koran and our Sunna say? What does our belief say? What does our history prove…? They show clearly that the conflict between us and the Jews is one of belief, identity, and existence…"

"Read history and you will understand that the Jews of yesterday are the evil forefathers of the even more evil Jews of today: infidels, falsifiers of words, calf worshippers, prophet murderers, deniers of prophecies… the scum of the human race, accursed by Allah, who turned them into apes and pigs… These are the Jews - an ongoing continuum of deceit, obstinacy, licentiousness, evil, and corruption…"

"Oh nation of Islam, today our nation is at the height of conflict with the enemies of yesterday, today, and tomorrow - the offspring of [the three Jewish tribes of Al-Madina] Banu Qurayza, Banu Nadhir, and Banu Qaynuqa, upon whom Allah's curse rests until Judgment Day. Do the sons of our people realize the truth about the nation of wrath and deceit…? The insult to and contempt of Arabs, Muslims, and their holy places reaches its height at the hands of the rats of the world, the violators of agreements, in whose minds abide treachery, destruction, and deceit and in whose veins flow occupation and tyranny… They are indeed worthy of the curse of Allah, of the angels, and of all people…"

"Fiery imam invited to speak here," by Barney Zwartz for The Age, December 12 (thanks to Lachlan):

IT'S billed as the ''largest, the biggest and the best-ever Islamic event in the history of Australia'' - a three-day festival for an expected 20,000 Muslims - and it will be held in Melbourne in March.

But the chief attraction is a Saudi imam who has called for violent jihad.

The description above comes from the Australian Islamic Peace Conference Facebook page. It is an extraordinary coup for organiser Waseem Razvi to entice Dr Abdul Rahman al-Sudais who, as the man in charge of Islam's two holiest mosques in Mecca and Medina, could be considered the world's foremost imam.

He will be one of many international speakers at the conference - endorsed by the Islamic Council of Victoria, Preston Mosque and leading Muslim groups - in the lead-up to which 1000 local volunteers are being trained to carry out ''dawah'' or proselytism for Islam.

But Dr Mark Durie, an Anglican priest, believes Dr al-Sudais should be refused a visa because he has called for the annihilation of the Jews, whom he called the ''scum of humanity'', ''rats of the world'', ''prophet killers'' and ''pigs and monkeys''.

Dr Durie, who was an expert witness on the Christian side in the Islamic Council of Victoria case against Catch the Fire Ministries, said that Dr al-Sudais was famous in the Muslim world for his recitations, ''the Pavarotti of the Koran''.

''But he's not a figure of conciliation and unity, that's for sure. I'm concerned promoting him in Australia will create a channel of influence for his ideas on Jews and jihad.''

Mr Razvi was surprised on Tuesday to hear of the allegations against Dr al-Sudais.

''But he's just one speaker, and all he will do is recitation [of the Koran]. For us the public speakers have to be in English. And his final confirmation has not yet come.''

Mr Razvi, 32 and founder of the Islamic Research and Education Academy, said he had three goals in staging the festival. The first was to unite Islamic organisations on one platform, because it would encourage the next generation of Muslims to see the leaders and scholars working together.

The second goal was to build bridges between the Muslim community and mainstream Australia. Unlike traditional Islamic conferences, it had a strong multifaith element, including invitations to Melbourne's Anglican and Catholic archbishops and Protestant, Buddhist and Hindu leaders to speak. ''This way the Muslim community gets to hear the other side, and if there is any isolation of either side this can break the ice,'' he said.

The third goal was to build bridges to secular authorities, with invitations to federal and state leaders, police, the lord mayor and others....

Those "bridges" only ever go one way.

"The answer is, as the Prophet said, to fight the infidels until the religion belongs to Allah." He said it. He was quoting Qur'an 8:39. What "moderate" Muslim leader in the U.S. will go to Australia to explain to him how he is misunderstanding Islam? "Australian Islamist Musa Cerantonio: We Must Fight the Infidels by Physical Warfare Until the Caliphate Is Restored," from MEMRI, November 30:

Following are excerpts from a lecture by Australian Islamist Musa Cerantonio, which was posted on the Internet on November 30, 2012:

Musa Cerantonio: Reestablishing the Islamic state is eventually going to be a military matter, and it is a matter that concerns a large part of the Islamic nation. So how do we go about doing this?

[…]

Why is it that they are attacking our lands? It is because they want to stop the people from ruling by the Book of Allah. You find that Al-Shabab in Somalia may Allah grant them victory, stood up and said: No more tribalism. No more socialism. We want Islam. So the Americans bombed their lands.

The same thing in Afghanistan. The Taliban, may Allah grant them victory – they are the heroes of the Islamic nation these days… These are men. They are the men of the Islamic nation today – the Taliban, may Allah grant them victory. You don’t find anyone like them on the face of this earth. Why are the Americans so determined to defeat them, when they have nothing? They have nothing. It is to stop them from ruling by the Book of Allah.

[…]

The advent of Imam Mahdi and the return of the Caliphate is going to be a time of great warfare and tribulation. Every single prophet, from Adam until Muhammad, warned their nation about this time. The greatest strife is going to be at the time that the Antichrist appears on the earth. This is when Imam Mahdi comes. This is going to be when the Caliphate is going to be established. There are going to be caliphs who are going to exist before him, then he will also rule over the Muslims, and Jesus will come. This strife is going to be massive. These are, no doubt, times that are coming upon us. We have to be prepared for this. We have to see what the reality is – that we are going to be fought.

The answer to Palestine is not by holding hands with the Infidels. It’s not by pleading to the U.N. to accept Palestine as a nation. The answer is, as the Prophet said, to fight the infidels until the religion belongs to Allah. The primary goal or strength that we are going to have is in physical warfare. For me and you today, this is not our utmost concern, being in Australia, but no doubt, as a nation, this is what we have to focus on. This is what we have to focus on.

Now we have to know our religion, be prepared for these times, educate ourselves, and prepare, as Allah says: “Prepare against them all you can from strength.” Every strength – unity is strength, knowledge is strength, and steel is strength. “Prepare what you can against them.” This is what we have to do in this nation.

[…]

This isn’t going to come cheap. It’s not going to come easy. It is going to come with our effort, our life, our sweat, and our blood. I ask Allah to grant victory to all of those mujahideen who fight for His cause, to uphold the banner of “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger.”

"But we have to stand up to these guys or else they will take over completely." Indeed so.

"Sydney's violent wild, wild west," by Mark Morri for The Daily Telegraph, December 7 (thanks to James):

SHOOTINGS, extortion and general violence is so out of control in south-west Sydney that residents and children are seeking medical help for post-traumatic stress disorders.

Gangs from opposing religious sects are also extorting money from restaurants in the area with at least three premises fire-bombed or shot at in the past few weeks.

Gee, Mark, which religious sects? Baptists and Methodists? Calvinists and Arminians?

Police have confirmed they have set up a special taskforce to investigate the shootings.

"There are a number of shooting incidents at restaurants in the Bankstown area we are looking at," said Detective Superintendent Debbie Wallace, head of the Middle Eastern Crime Squad.

"Victims of these types of crimes are very reluctant to come forward, naturally because of the fear," Supt Wallace said.

She confirmed that in some cases religion is used by those making the threats.

Zowie, Supt Wallace, which religion? Jainism? Zen Buddhism?

"We need people to come forward and tell us before we can take action."

Earlier this year police arrested three men on blackmail offences after they allegedly used threats to force the owner of Juicylicious in Bankstown to sell his business well under market the market price.

"If people report threats then we can investigate them and also protect them."

One group made up of Muslim men contacts restaurant owners and says they "don't want their type" - a Shia - operating in the area and try to intimidate them into handing over their business.

Ah, finally, in the tenth paragraph, we learn that the Sunni-Shi'ite jihad has come to Australia.

"They then offer to buy the business for a fraction of its worth, when they are turned down they get threatened on the phone. If they continue to resist they find there business targeting in other ways. Like being shot at or fires," said one business operator.

Dr Jamal Riffi, a general practitioner and one of the most respected Muslim leaders in the area said he was seeing an increasing number of patients who were suffering anxiety from being extorted.

"I have patients who have small businesses who are being intimidated and extorted on a weekly basis," he said.

"It is the worst I have ever seen it. Some of these men are hiding behind their religion, saying they are Muslims and have a right to do what they are doing. That is wrong. They are criminals threatening people in their own community."

An angry Dr Riffi, who has a good relationship with police in the area and on the Middle eastern gang squad, said it was time the police hierarchy and politicians did something seriously about the problem.

If these people are criminals hiding behind their Islamic faith, shouldn't the Muslim community do something about it? Or is it all up to the police hierarchy and politicians?

"Politicians from both sides come out to the south-west, even the local members, eat a bit of homous and tabouli and then leave without addressing the problems."

His patients at his Belmore practice are his eyes and ears of the community.

"This is the worst I have seen it in this area since I arrived in Australia in 1984. Even when Michael Kannan and his gang were running wild it was different," he said.

"They knee-capped other gangster and did most of their violence in Kings Cross."

Now he said young couples are too frightened to open businesses.

"One restaurant opened recently and was doing very well soon after opening. Then a fire destroys the place," he said.

"No one is saying exactly what happened but all the business people are talking about it as extortion.

"I have patients who tell me it is better to pay, especially at the moment because the festive season is the most profitable and they can't afford to have any trouble."

"But we have to stand up to thses [sic] guys or else they will take over completely."

Oh, yes, they will.

Islam mandates death for non-Muslim subjects of the Islamic state who mention "something impermissible about Allah, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), or Islam" ('Umdat al-Salik, o11.10), and such laws go back to passages in the Hadith and Sira in which Muhammad orders the murders of people who have insulted him, including Abu ‘Afak, who was over one hundred years old, and the poetess ‘Asma bint Marwan. Abu ‘Afak was killed in his sleep, in response to Muhammad's question, “Who will avenge me on this scoundrel?” Similarly, Muhammad on another occasion cried out, “Will no one rid me of this daughter of Marwan?” One of his followers, ‘Umayr ibn ‘Adi, went to her house that night, where he found her sleeping next to her children. The youngest, a nursing babe, was in her arms. But that didn’t stop ‘Umayr from murdering her and the baby as well. Muhammad commended him: “You have done a great service to Allah and His Messenger, ‘Umayr!” (Ibn Ishaq, 674-676)

Then there was Ka'b bin Al-Ashraf. Muhammad asked: "Who is willing to kill Ka'b bin Al-Ashraf who has hurt Allah and His Apostle?" One of the Muslims, Muhammad bin Maslama answered, "O Allah's Apostle! Would you like that I kill him?" When Muhammad said that he would, Muhammad bin Maslama said, "Then allow me to say a (false) thing (i.e. to deceive Kab)." Muhammad responded: "You may say it." Muhammad bin Maslama duly lied to Ka'b, luring him into his trap, and murdered him. (Bukhari 5.59.369)

"Man allegedly stabbed over prophet insult," by Lauren Turner for AAP, December 3 (thanks to Lachlan):

A YOUNG man tried to stab his brother to death for insulting a Muslim prophet, a court has heard.

Safaa Allami, 22, is accused of attempting to murder his older brother Ali Allami during a row at their Cloverdale home in Perth's eastern suburbs.

Ali Allami was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries, prosecutor Nicholas Cogin said.

It is claimed he was stabbed seven times in the chest, back and flank, suffering a pierced liver and kidney that could have cost him his life.

A Supreme Court jury heard on Monday that Safaa Allami left the family home shortly after the stabbing on October 12, 2010, before police arrived.

Mr Cogin said he went to the home of his friend Elyas Ali, his clothes stained with his brother's blood, and was recorded confessing to the crime later that day.
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Safaa Allami, who was born in Iraq and denies he attempted to kill his brother, then tried to make a getaway and bought a ticket to Brisbane the following day, the jury was told.

"The state says that Safaa Allami is a very religious man, but his brother wasn't, and that his brother defamed the prophet," Mr Cogin told the court.

"As a result of that, that was the final straw that caused Safaa Allami to stab his brother."

During the recorded admission made to Mr Ali, Safaa Allami is alleged to have said he "would do it again" if the opportunity arose, the court was told....