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.