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01-18-2007, 08:06 PM
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Muslims wary of Howard DVD message
19jan07
A NEW religious row is heating up after it was revealed that Prime Minister John Howard recorded a goodwill message for an Australia Day prayer event organised by a controversial group involved in an anti-Islamic court case.
The Prime Minister has appeared in a DVD message for Catch the Fire Ministries, which is sponsoring a multi-denominational gathering in Melbourne on January 26.
Member of the prime minister's Muslim Community Reference Group and former president of the Islamic Council of Victoria, Yasser Soliman, said today Mr Howard should have thought twice about making the DVD.
"Of course the Prime Minister is free to address anyone he chooses," Mr Soliman said.
"But what he says is extremely influential and what he fails to say is also influential. I would hope that he would clearly condemn hate speeches in all their forms, irrespective of who the perpetrators are.
"It could be perceived that he might have a different standard for some sectors of the community than he has for other sectors in the Australian community, and that would be sending a very dangerous message here and overseas."
Catch the Fire's Pastor Danny Nalliah, who is organising the event, was one of two Catch the Fire ministers charged under Victoria's vilification laws in 2002 for allegedly saying Muslims weer demons.
Pastor Nalliah denied he made the controversial statement and said today the Victorian Court of Appeal backed that last month.
"There is nowhere (on) record that we ever said Muslims are demons," Pastor Nalliah said on ABC radio.
"I would never say that. And secondly we never said all Muslims are violent."
Pastor Nalliah has refused to divulge what Mr Howard has said in his recorded message for fear it will be taken out of context.
"I have kept it confidential up until Australia Day," he said.
"The best thing is for the media to come and listen to it firsthand on Australia Day, then say what they believed they heard the Prime Minister said."
Pastor Nalliah said the event at Festival Hall next Friday involved a wide range of religious groups including the Salvation Army, Presbyterian and Anglican churches and smaller organisations.
"It's about coming together to pray for a nation and I think it's a great opportunity," he said.
Pastor Nalliah said the prime minister was not the only politician to give their support to Catch the Fire.
"In the past we have had our former deputy prime minister John Anderson speak at our meetings.
"(Treasurer) Peter Costello did, so did Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile last year."
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Not all muslims are terrorists, but most terrorists are muslims. Waiting for Howard to light the fire.
http://server-au.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/count?url=&rnd=1169168642223&cid=au_newscorp_0&ref=http%3A//www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0%2C20867%2C21084172-1702%2C00.html&sr=sr1280x1024:cd32:lgen-au:jey:cky:tz9:ctlan:hpn http://server-au.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/count?cid=au_newscorp_0
Muslims wary of Howard DVD message
19jan07
A NEW religious row is heating up after it was revealed that Prime Minister John Howard recorded a goodwill message for an Australia Day prayer event organised by a controversial group involved in an anti-Islamic court case.
The Prime Minister has appeared in a DVD message for Catch the Fire Ministries, which is sponsoring a multi-denominational gathering in Melbourne on January 26.
Member of the prime minister's Muslim Community Reference Group and former president of the Islamic Council of Victoria, Yasser Soliman, said today Mr Howard should have thought twice about making the DVD.
"Of course the Prime Minister is free to address anyone he chooses," Mr Soliman said.
"But what he says is extremely influential and what he fails to say is also influential. I would hope that he would clearly condemn hate speeches in all their forms, irrespective of who the perpetrators are.
"It could be perceived that he might have a different standard for some sectors of the community than he has for other sectors in the Australian community, and that would be sending a very dangerous message here and overseas."
Catch the Fire's Pastor Danny Nalliah, who is organising the event, was one of two Catch the Fire ministers charged under Victoria's vilification laws in 2002 for allegedly saying Muslims weer demons.
Pastor Nalliah denied he made the controversial statement and said today the Victorian Court of Appeal backed that last month.
"There is nowhere (on) record that we ever said Muslims are demons," Pastor Nalliah said on ABC radio.
"I would never say that. And secondly we never said all Muslims are violent."
Pastor Nalliah has refused to divulge what Mr Howard has said in his recorded message for fear it will be taken out of context.
"I have kept it confidential up until Australia Day," he said.
"The best thing is for the media to come and listen to it firsthand on Australia Day, then say what they believed they heard the Prime Minister said."
Pastor Nalliah said the event at Festival Hall next Friday involved a wide range of religious groups including the Salvation Army, Presbyterian and Anglican churches and smaller organisations.
"It's about coming together to pray for a nation and I think it's a great opportunity," he said.
Pastor Nalliah said the prime minister was not the only politician to give their support to Catch the Fire.
"In the past we have had our former deputy prime minister John Anderson speak at our meetings.
"(Treasurer) Peter Costello did, so did Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile last year."
privacy (javascript:void(0)) terms (javascript:void(0)) © The Australian
Not all muslims are terrorists, but most terrorists are muslims. Waiting for Howard to light the fire.
http://server-au.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/count?url=&rnd=1169168642223&cid=au_newscorp_0&ref=http%3A//www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0%2C20867%2C21084172-1702%2C00.html&sr=sr1280x1024:cd32:lgen-au:jey:cky:tz9:ctlan:hpn http://server-au.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/count?cid=au_newscorp_0