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Down Under
Anti-terror laws 'single out' Muslims
2005-09-26
Whoda thunk that.
NEW laws to be discussed at a national security summit would not target Muslims, Prime Minister John Howard said today.

Hundreds of Muslims and civil libertarians gathered in Sydney yesterday to call for an end to the Government's grab for greater anti-terrorism powers. They accused Mr Howard of taking Australia down the path of a police state and treating Muslims differently to the rest of the community.

But Mr Howard said today the Government's proposals did not target Muslims and would protect civil rights. "I'm careful to keep all of them in the balance but there's nothing in these laws that target the Muslim community," Mr Howard said today on ABC Radio. "There is no foundation in anything I have said or anything anybody has said to justify that complaint."

Protesters yesterday called on the Government to scrap the terrorism laws and said Muslims were being singled out. "Instead of coming out with practical steps to address terrorism, these laws will just work to create more intolerance towards Muslims," said Chaaban Omran, national president of the Federation of Australian Muslim Students and Youth. "As Australians, we just want to be treated like everyone else. We don't wish to have all these laws set out that will lead to us becoming targets."

Sister Agnes Chong, from the Australian Muslim Civil Rights Advocacy Network, said the new laws were discriminatory and Muslims should fight them. She said ASIO had detained and questioned 18 Muslims in the past two years. "We know of at least 18 people who have been detained and questioned by ASIO," she said. "We have to use every legitimate means to prevent these unjust laws."
Only 18?
Bilal Khazal, a former Sydney Qantas baggage handler, hovered around the side of the protest in a Lakemba park talking to friends. He will face a Supreme Court trial next year after earlier pleading not guilty to two counts of inciting terrorism.

The meeting heard that a 41-page legal opinion on the proposed laws prepared by the Muslim civil rights organisation says the changes to the sedition law and the control orders could be unconstitutional. The opinion was sent to John Howard last Friday with a letter requesting he withdraw the proposals, saying they lacked detail and were discriminatory. "It is clear that the proposals, if adopted, will mark serious breaches of key liberal democratic principles and raise constitutional problems," said the opinion, written by a community lawyers and legal academics.

Wassim Doureihi, a spokesman for the controversial Islamic political organisation Hizb-ut-Tahrir, told the crowd that the victimisation of the community would draw it together. "This can only make us stronger," he said.
'cause they're victims, ya know.
Zachariah Matthews, from the Australian Islamic Mission, called on Muslims to complain when they heard or read discriminatory material in the media. "Complain, demand to be heard, ask for an apology. Be firm, be polite and be civil," he said.
"And then threaten to cut their heads off."
Posted by:Glase Elmomock2085

#10  I stand corrected.
Posted by: raptor   2005-09-26 19:04  

#9  I have a simple solution. Muslims should not engage in terrorist activities or support terrorists. See? Problem solved!
Posted by: mmurray821   2005-09-26 18:24  

#8  "Anti-terror laws 'single out' Muslims"

That's a feature, not a bug.
Posted by: Xbalanke   2005-09-26 17:20  

#7  
# Raptor. Anti-terrorism laws in particular, and anti-violence laws in general, prevent Muslims from practicing their religion.
Posted by: gromgoru   2005-09-26 14:39  

#6  Agin,where does in specify Muslems or Islam.The way I understand it these laws apply to all individuals and groups.
Posted by: raptor   2005-09-26 14:35  

#5  "Anti-terror laws 'single out' Muslims"

well, duh!
Posted by: Uneang Spinegum6406   2005-09-26 14:32  

#4  It speaks well of Muslim intelligence that they were able to comprehend this.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2005-09-26 13:43  

#3  We don't wish to have all these laws set out that will lead to us becoming targets.

Targets? Now you know how we feel, bub.
Posted by: tu3031   2005-09-26 12:56  

#2  They accused Mr Howard of taking Australia down the path of a police state and treating Muslims differently to the rest of the community.

Well, if only the rest of the community would start blowin' shit up, be be fine...
Posted by: mojo   2005-09-26 02:21  

#1  If we had targeted muslims specifically we could have prevented 100% of the terrorist attacks on Western nations that have killed civilians in the past 5 years.

That's a 100% success rate.

Why should we remove the civil liberties of the whole non-muslim population just to be 'fair' to the muslims in an unfair situation where muslims are causing the problem?

TO protect the civil liberties of the broader population and their right to life, muslims should indeed be targeted.

Law should be changed so that an ideological group may be specifically targeted where that group is causing social unrest.

bug the mosques, tap the mullah's phone lines, investigate them more than everyone else.
Posted by: anon1   2005-09-26 00:09  

00:00