| FrontPageMag.com | By Robert Spencer | By Hugh Fitzgerald | Books | Jihad Watch | Robert Spencer | Islam 101 | Qur'an Blog |  |
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
Interesting court case going on in Australia. Two Christian pastors are on trial for "vilifying Muslims" during a 2002 seminar. But as they make their defense, they are going on the offensive. From The Age, with thanks to Jean-Luc:
Islam was an illegal religion because the Koran preached violence against Christians and Jews, a Christian group told a judge yesterday.The group's barrister, David Perkins, said that Christianity was established under Australia's constitution and had special protection, especially through the blasphemy law.
Mr Perkins told the Victorian and Civil Administrative Tribunal that if the state's new religious hatred law intended to fetter the teaching of Christian doctrine it was invalid.
Victoria's Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 referred to lawful religion, and it was in that sense, he said, that by preaching violence Islam was disqualified.
"The Koran contradicts Christian doctrine in a number of places and, under the blasphemy law, is therefore illegal," he said.
In the first case under the act, the Islamic Council of Victoria has complained that Catch the Fire Ministries, Pastor Danny Nalliah and speaker Daniel Scot, also a pastor, vilified Muslims at a seminar in March 2002.
Posted by Robert at February 22, 2004 3:16 AM
Print this entry
| Email this entry
| Digg this
| del.icio.us
This is a good test case that could hurt plenty.
The rationale is solid but will the judge have good sense?
This is normal Christianity... Jesus said, "God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted, too." Matthew 5:9-12
It would be interesting to know how the Australian laws read before commenting on this article .. for those of us not familiar with Australian law nor involved in Christian activist groups there.
Posted by: BJ at February 22, 2004 8:49 AMThey told the truth about Islam, and this is villifying(sp?) it?
This blasphemy law will never be used against muslim clerics who routinely and actually do villify Jews, Christians, etc.
Australia will do absolutely nothing to the mufti who called for jihad and condoned suicide bombings.
Imagine if a Christian preacher in Australia called for christians to suicide bomb Palestinains, Muslim Kashmiris, and Chechens...he would be in jail right now.
TS - so true what you say - if any other religion said what the Muslims say, that person would be in jail ASAP. Why are we allowing Muslims to get away with such horrid speech!?
jihan
Posted by: jihan at February 23, 2004 2:14 PM
(Note: Comments on articles are unmoderated, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dhimmi Watch or Robert Spencer. Comments that are off-topic, offensive, slanderous, or otherwise annoying may be summarily deleted. However, the fact that particular comments remain on the site IN NO WAY constitutes an endorsement by Robert Spencer of the views expressed therein.)