Very funny, Sheik Alhilali:
http://au.news.yahoo.com/070111/2/121be.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->NSW premier Morris Iemma has challenged controversial Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali to stand in the March 24 elections, saying people won't vote "for lunacy".
Earlier media reports indicated Sheik Alhilali would stand for Mr Iemma's Lakemba electorate in Sydney's south-west.
Sheik Alhilali's spokesman Keysar Trad said that the mufti will not stand but the Muslim community and the cleric will consider backing Muslim candidates for Sydney's south-western seats of Lakemba, Bankstown and Auburn.
He said politicians need to stop singling out Muslims when incidents including violence and racial tensions arise in Sydney.
"We need to make sure that we are taken seriously ... getting them to stop picking on us every time there's an issue but also in terms of acknowledging that there are strong (Muslim) candidates who are capable of serving this nation in (the) political arena," Mr Trad told ABC radio.
But Mr Iemma wants to challenge Sheik Alhilali head-on, saying the mufti will lose in a debate on Australian values.
"Stand yourself, and if he does I would welcome the challenge of contrasting my values with his," Mr Iemma told ABC radio.
"For example, I love Australia and its people and he doesn't.
"I believe that a great majority of people in my electorate won't be voting for lunacy, no matter who's putting it forward."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
http://au.news.yahoo.com/070111/2/121be.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->NSW premier Morris Iemma has challenged controversial Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali to stand in the March 24 elections, saying people won't vote "for lunacy".
Earlier media reports indicated Sheik Alhilali would stand for Mr Iemma's Lakemba electorate in Sydney's south-west.
Sheik Alhilali's spokesman Keysar Trad said that the mufti will not stand but the Muslim community and the cleric will consider backing Muslim candidates for Sydney's south-western seats of Lakemba, Bankstown and Auburn.
He said politicians need to stop singling out Muslims when incidents including violence and racial tensions arise in Sydney.
"We need to make sure that we are taken seriously ... getting them to stop picking on us every time there's an issue but also in terms of acknowledging that there are strong (Muslim) candidates who are capable of serving this nation in (the) political arena," Mr Trad told ABC radio.
But Mr Iemma wants to challenge Sheik Alhilali head-on, saying the mufti will lose in a debate on Australian values.
"Stand yourself, and if he does I would welcome the challenge of contrasting my values with his," Mr Iemma told ABC radio.
"For example, I love Australia and its people and he doesn't.
"I believe that a great majority of people in my electorate won't be voting for lunacy, no matter who's putting it forward."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->