Tuesday, 30 January 2007

Jihad in Australia ?

Recent events have opened a division between the NSW state and the Federal government over a propsal to ban a radical Islamist group. Hizb ut-Tahrir recently held a meeting of about five hundred followers at the Lakemba mosque. It is headed by Indonesian firebrand Ismail Yusanto who calls for all Australian Muslims of military age to begin training for jihad. Yusanto calls for the formation of a world wide Islamic superstate ruled over by a Caliphate - and for that state to embrace Sharia law.
This organization is banned in most of Europe and many other countries but the Australian government has resisted implementing a ban because so far it has not broken any Australian law. Premier Morris Iemma sees it as a call to jihad in this country and wants it banned.
The main stumbling block for Hizb ut-Tahrir is it's call for both Sunni and Sh'ite to take part in jihad. Given the secular difference between these branches of Islam in Iraq joint action would be a big ask. He should note the century of violence in Northern Ireland when two branches of Christianity declined to worship a common God.
The sad thing is that the majority of the near half million Muslims in Australia simply want to live their lives free of strife. The lunatic fringe that seeks to hate all others than their particular branch of Islam makes them suspect in the eyes of western Australians. The media gives prominence to the ravings of people like Ismail Yusanto - and this may influence Islamic youth which - like western youth - is in perpetual revolt against authority.
There have been many others with grand designs on world domination like Ismail Yusanto.
Within the memory of many people names like Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin spring to mind. Both failed because their method of achieving domination involved the suppression of individual freedom. When it comes to the crunch, Australian Muslims may value their way of life in Australia more than oppression under a theocracy !

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