Weasel Words !

It is generally accepted that speeches made by a country's leader are the official version of that country's view on matters.  For that reason, the content is couched in diplomatic terms and carefully scrutinized by experts beforehand.    The same applies to religion.   The Pope speaks for the world's Catholics and each of the Protestant branches of Christianity have their own supreme leader.

Islam is different.   There is no world leader heading that faith - if you ignore the murderous bandit who has appointed himself  Caliph ruling over what he terms his Caliphate in captured areas of Syria and Iraq.    In Australia, Muslims are led by Ibrahim Abu Mohammed - who is termed the Grand Mufti.

The Grand Mufti has chosen to speak of the terror attacks in Paris last weekend and contrary to both the heads of foreign countries and the range of religious leaders he carefully avoided condemning the carnage caused by cold blooded murder.   He offered his sympathy to the victims and their families, and then went on to try and shift the blame by referring to racism against Muslims and widespread " Islamaphobia"  in the west.

This is in contrast to moderate Islamic leaders in this country who have clearly voiced their rejection of the aims of Islamic State.  The Grand Mufti's words will be seized upon by the small minority of IS supporters and it will do grievous harm to the Muslim refugees that Australia has agreed to settle here.  What many will see an an endorsement of terror will not be helpful in convincing ordinary Australians to accept those displaced by that war and it will foster mistrust that some refugees are terrorists masquerading as refugees.

The aims of IS are quite clear and openly stated.  It is their intention to raise a revolutionary army and conquer the UnIslamic nations of the world and impose a Wahabist version of Islam by force.  The style of this regime is not hidden and they glory in releasing video of the beheading of those they capture and the use of captured women as sex slaves, or being sold off for profit in slave bazaars. They have bizarre beliefs that ban music, television, dancing and most forms of entertainment.  It is their intention to force Sharia law on the world.

The sheer cruelty imposed on those under their control is overwhelming.  Doctors and nurses tending the wounded from both sides and workers from charities feeding the starving are put to death when captured.  The terror attack in Paris which was delivered by a hard core of trained jihadists was planned to create the maximum amount of carnage and was a suicide mission, because each of the attackers wore a  suicide vest and detonated that when capture beckoned.

The duplicitous  use of weasel words by the Grand Mufti must cause dismay in the Islamic community here in Australia - and many will question his motives.   Possibly he may fear for his life if he publicly condemned IS terrorism.  Self preservation is a powerful emotive and there is no question that IS has both the will and the means to do harm to opponents.

There is also the option that he personally supports both the aims and the methods that Islamic State employs in it's mission to force Islam on the world.  If so, he risks driving a wedge into Islam's adherents in this country, many of whom fled their old country to avoid the sectarian violence and oppression that made life a misery.   Nothing will enhance secularism more than a religious leader with views that the faithful totally oppose.

This surprising reluctance to  condemn willful murder for religious purposes will have many Australian Muslims questioning how an Islamic leader gains office ?   Nobody voted Ibrahim Abu Mohammed into power and yet he purports to speak for all Muslims in Australia.    This lack of balance may see moderate Muslims question his relevance !

He has since recanted and finally condemned te Paris attack, but the delay is simply too little and too late to undo the damage done !