| Australian Islamic leaders endorsed tough new anti-terorrism laws on Thursday after the government said the changes would not target Muslims. Australia announced a series of new anti-terrorism laws, including the detention of suspects for 48 hours without charge and the use of electronic devices to monitor suspected terrorists, following the July 7 London bus and subway bombings. The changes angered Australia’s Muslim leaders, who feared the new laws would unfairly target Muslims and would lead to racial profiling, where people would be subjected to closer police scrutiny because of their ethnic background. Australia, a nation of 20 million people, has about 280,000 Muslims who live mainly in the cities of Sydney and Melbourne. Attorney-General Philip Ruddock detailed the changes during a two-hour meeting with 13 key Muslim leaders on Thursday, and said he had reassured them the laws would not directly target Muslims. |