Three news reports concerning Australia:
http://au.news.yahoo.com/070111/2/121be.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Saturday January 27, 07:52 PM
<b>Sheik's understudy creates his own stir</b>
Sydney's Muslim community is defending another of its clerics, a young Imam who gave a sermon reportedly calling for attacks on the enemies of Iraq.
Yahya Safi gave the Friday sermon at the Lakemba mosque, replacing controversial Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali, who pulled out at the last minute after being told he had to be apolitical in his speech.
The sheik's understudy, one of half a dozen Imams who give sermons at the popular south-western Sydney mosque, is aged in his thirties.
The Seven Network reported Imam Safi offered a prayer "for our brothers in Iraq", appealing to God to destroy the enemies of Islam.
"God destroy the oppressors, destroy the aggressors, destroy the hypocrites, destroy the despotic tyrants."
Tom Zreika, president of the Lebanese Muslim Association which runs the mosque, said Imam Safi was not calling for the destruction of Australian troops in Iraq.
"His reference isn't against the coalition (forces) because he is an Australian, we are Australians, and we wouldn't stand for something like that," he told Seven.
Islamic Friendship Association president Keysar Trad, a friend of the sheik, said people should not think the worst of the imams "ambiguous comments".
"Why not give them the benefit of the doubt," he told Seven.
NSW Premier Morris Iemma, who among others has been calling for Sheik Alhilali to be replaced as Australia's mufti, said the Muslim community should be careful with choosing his successor.
"Don't replace one with fanatical views with another who is just 30 years younger," Mr Iemma told Seven.
The mufti arrived home in Sydney this week after his two-month self-imposed exile to Mecca and Egypt, following a controversial sermon last year comparing immodestly dressed women to "uncovered meat".
In an appearance on Egyptian television this month, his comments in Arabic were translated as saying Muslims were more entitled to live in Australia than Anglo-Saxons sent as convicts in chains, and that westerners were liars.
But the mufti says he loves Australia and that his comments have been maliciously misinterpreted by the media and politicians.
LMA members intercepted Australia's most senior Muslim cleric on his way to give the Friday sermon.
Mr Zreika said the sheik pulled out after being told his sermon had to be apolitical, avoiding talk of the Lebanese Muslim candidates expected to run at the March state election.
Mr Zreika is a Liberal Party councillor in Auburn, one of three seats where the candidates endorsed by the mufti will run.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The second report concerns the following events in earlier Aus-related news (see also posts 47, 49 and 51):
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->http://au.news.yahoo.com//070111/2/121be.html (page now replaced with latest report above)
Thursday January 25, 03:51 PM
<b>Iemma challenges sheik to 'bring it on'</b>
Controversial Muslim cleric Sheik Taj Aldin al Hilaly should reveal if he has political intentions now he's back in Australia, <b>NSW</b> Premier Morris Iemma says.
The sheik on Wednesday night used a side door at Sydney Airport to avoid a waiting media pack after he arrived home from a trip overseas.
Sheik al Hilaly sparked outrage in Australia in recent weeks when he used an appearance on breakfast television to describe Australians as liars.
He told Egyptian television Muslims were more entitled to live in Australia than Anglo-Saxons sent as convicts in chains.
It follows the stir he caused last year when he compared immodestly dressed women to "uncovered meat".
Mr Iemma said on Thursday Sheik al Hilaly should reveal if he intended to run for state parliament or have independent candidates stand on his behalf at the March 24 state election.
The sheik is believed to be considering standing as a candidate against the premier in Mr Iemma's western Sydney electorate of Lakemba.
"There's a lot of public interest in what he has to say and what he wants to do with the election," Mr Iemma told reporters.
"He ought to explain what his position is.
"Is he going to run? Are we going to have al Hilaly independents? If so, tell us.
"Because as I said: if you want a challenge, bring it on."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Follow-up on the above is now:
http://au.news.yahoo.com/070201/23/129n1.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Thursday February 1, 12:02 PM
<b>Former terror suspect to stand at election</b>
By 7News
Former Guantanamo detainee Mamdouh Habib is to stand for election in the NSW state poll.
Mr Habib will run as an independent in the safe Labor seat of Auburn, standing against ALP incumbent Barbara Penny.
He announced his candidacy on Thursday morning, pledging to campaign against anti-terrorist legislation - to work for "the right to freedom of expression and in opposition to the anti-terrorist laws, state and federal".
He also pledged to "fight racism <!--emo&:roll--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ROTFL.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='ROTFL.gif' /><!--endemo--> , the end of scapegoating of Aborigines, Muslims and migrants," and to oppose Australia's involvement in the war in Iraq. <i>(Islam is as racist a religion as christianity. And did he just dare mention the treatment of Aborigines in the same breath as 'the scapegoating' of muslims? <!--emo&:furious--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/furious.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='furious.gif' /><!--endemo--> )</i>
Mr Habib spent three years at the US prison camp at Guantanamo in Cuba, after he was arrested in Pakistan in 2001 on suspicion of involvement in terrorism.
He was released without charge in January 2005.
Born in Egypt, father-of-four Mr Habib became an Australian citizen after moving to the country in 1980.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Obviously, islamoterrorist Sheikh Hilaly can't win if he stood, he's not likely to be popular after having hatefully insulted Australians. Instead Hilaly's catspaw is carefully chosen, a victim: they're hoping to get sympathy votes?
Final bit of news is really weird:
http://au.news.yahoo.com/070201/2/129nj.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Thursday February 1, 05:36 PM
<b>Howard queries churches over Osama signs</b>
Many Australians will question the priority of churches which have posted signs saying "Jesus loves Osama", Prime Minister John Howard says.
Several churches, including Baptist churches, in inner-Sydney have the message on signs which also feature a Bible extract saying, "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you".
"I understand the Christian motivation of the Baptist church," Mr Howard told reporters.
"But I hope they will understand that a lot of Australians, including many Australian Christians, will think that the prayer priority of the church on this occasion could have been elsewhere."
In Canberra, Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey said: "I was taught that Jesus loves everyone - I think he's far more generous than I would be."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Another Yahoo news report on the above is Australian PM objects to church's "Jesus loves Osama" sign with picture
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->churches which have posted signs saying "Jesus loves Osama"<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->(<i>Of course he would, if he'd existed</i>)
We can turn to their fellow-christian born-again Pat Robertson, to find out what these Baptists mean when they say 'love':
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->You say you're supposed to be nice to the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians and the Methodists and this, that, and the other thing. Nonsense. I don't have to be nice to the spirit of the Antichrist. <b>I can love the people who hold false opinions but I don't have to be nice to them.</b>Â <!--emo&:blink:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='blink.gif' /><!--endemo-->
-- Statement made by Pat Robertson on his televised program The 700 Club, January 14, 1991<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> ( http://freetruth.50webs.org/C6.htm )
http://au.news.yahoo.com/070111/2/121be.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Saturday January 27, 07:52 PM
<b>Sheik's understudy creates his own stir</b>
Sydney's Muslim community is defending another of its clerics, a young Imam who gave a sermon reportedly calling for attacks on the enemies of Iraq.
Yahya Safi gave the Friday sermon at the Lakemba mosque, replacing controversial Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali, who pulled out at the last minute after being told he had to be apolitical in his speech.
The sheik's understudy, one of half a dozen Imams who give sermons at the popular south-western Sydney mosque, is aged in his thirties.
The Seven Network reported Imam Safi offered a prayer "for our brothers in Iraq", appealing to God to destroy the enemies of Islam.
"God destroy the oppressors, destroy the aggressors, destroy the hypocrites, destroy the despotic tyrants."
Tom Zreika, president of the Lebanese Muslim Association which runs the mosque, said Imam Safi was not calling for the destruction of Australian troops in Iraq.
"His reference isn't against the coalition (forces) because he is an Australian, we are Australians, and we wouldn't stand for something like that," he told Seven.
Islamic Friendship Association president Keysar Trad, a friend of the sheik, said people should not think the worst of the imams "ambiguous comments".
"Why not give them the benefit of the doubt," he told Seven.
NSW Premier Morris Iemma, who among others has been calling for Sheik Alhilali to be replaced as Australia's mufti, said the Muslim community should be careful with choosing his successor.
"Don't replace one with fanatical views with another who is just 30 years younger," Mr Iemma told Seven.
The mufti arrived home in Sydney this week after his two-month self-imposed exile to Mecca and Egypt, following a controversial sermon last year comparing immodestly dressed women to "uncovered meat".
In an appearance on Egyptian television this month, his comments in Arabic were translated as saying Muslims were more entitled to live in Australia than Anglo-Saxons sent as convicts in chains, and that westerners were liars.
But the mufti says he loves Australia and that his comments have been maliciously misinterpreted by the media and politicians.
LMA members intercepted Australia's most senior Muslim cleric on his way to give the Friday sermon.
Mr Zreika said the sheik pulled out after being told his sermon had to be apolitical, avoiding talk of the Lebanese Muslim candidates expected to run at the March state election.
Mr Zreika is a Liberal Party councillor in Auburn, one of three seats where the candidates endorsed by the mufti will run.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The second report concerns the following events in earlier Aus-related news (see also posts 47, 49 and 51):
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->http://au.news.yahoo.com//070111/2/121be.html (page now replaced with latest report above)
Thursday January 25, 03:51 PM
<b>Iemma challenges sheik to 'bring it on'</b>
Controversial Muslim cleric Sheik Taj Aldin al Hilaly should reveal if he has political intentions now he's back in Australia, <b>NSW</b> Premier Morris Iemma says.
The sheik on Wednesday night used a side door at Sydney Airport to avoid a waiting media pack after he arrived home from a trip overseas.
Sheik al Hilaly sparked outrage in Australia in recent weeks when he used an appearance on breakfast television to describe Australians as liars.
He told Egyptian television Muslims were more entitled to live in Australia than Anglo-Saxons sent as convicts in chains.
It follows the stir he caused last year when he compared immodestly dressed women to "uncovered meat".
Mr Iemma said on Thursday Sheik al Hilaly should reveal if he intended to run for state parliament or have independent candidates stand on his behalf at the March 24 state election.
The sheik is believed to be considering standing as a candidate against the premier in Mr Iemma's western Sydney electorate of Lakemba.
"There's a lot of public interest in what he has to say and what he wants to do with the election," Mr Iemma told reporters.
"He ought to explain what his position is.
"Is he going to run? Are we going to have al Hilaly independents? If so, tell us.
"Because as I said: if you want a challenge, bring it on."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Follow-up on the above is now:
http://au.news.yahoo.com/070201/23/129n1.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Thursday February 1, 12:02 PM
<b>Former terror suspect to stand at election</b>
By 7News
Former Guantanamo detainee Mamdouh Habib is to stand for election in the NSW state poll.
Mr Habib will run as an independent in the safe Labor seat of Auburn, standing against ALP incumbent Barbara Penny.
He announced his candidacy on Thursday morning, pledging to campaign against anti-terrorist legislation - to work for "the right to freedom of expression and in opposition to the anti-terrorist laws, state and federal".
He also pledged to "fight racism <!--emo&:roll--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ROTFL.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='ROTFL.gif' /><!--endemo--> , the end of scapegoating of Aborigines, Muslims and migrants," and to oppose Australia's involvement in the war in Iraq. <i>(Islam is as racist a religion as christianity. And did he just dare mention the treatment of Aborigines in the same breath as 'the scapegoating' of muslims? <!--emo&:furious--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/furious.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='furious.gif' /><!--endemo--> )</i>
Mr Habib spent three years at the US prison camp at Guantanamo in Cuba, after he was arrested in Pakistan in 2001 on suspicion of involvement in terrorism.
He was released without charge in January 2005.
Born in Egypt, father-of-four Mr Habib became an Australian citizen after moving to the country in 1980.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Obviously, islamoterrorist Sheikh Hilaly can't win if he stood, he's not likely to be popular after having hatefully insulted Australians. Instead Hilaly's catspaw is carefully chosen, a victim: they're hoping to get sympathy votes?
Final bit of news is really weird:
http://au.news.yahoo.com/070201/2/129nj.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Thursday February 1, 05:36 PM
<b>Howard queries churches over Osama signs</b>
Many Australians will question the priority of churches which have posted signs saying "Jesus loves Osama", Prime Minister John Howard says.
Several churches, including Baptist churches, in inner-Sydney have the message on signs which also feature a Bible extract saying, "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you".
"I understand the Christian motivation of the Baptist church," Mr Howard told reporters.
"But I hope they will understand that a lot of Australians, including many Australian Christians, will think that the prayer priority of the church on this occasion could have been elsewhere."
In Canberra, Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey said: "I was taught that Jesus loves everyone - I think he's far more generous than I would be."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Another Yahoo news report on the above is Australian PM objects to church's "Jesus loves Osama" sign with picture
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->churches which have posted signs saying "Jesus loves Osama"<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->(<i>Of course he would, if he'd existed</i>)
We can turn to their fellow-christian born-again Pat Robertson, to find out what these Baptists mean when they say 'love':
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->You say you're supposed to be nice to the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians and the Methodists and this, that, and the other thing. Nonsense. I don't have to be nice to the spirit of the Antichrist. <b>I can love the people who hold false opinions but I don't have to be nice to them.</b>Â <!--emo&:blink:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='blink.gif' /><!--endemo-->
-- Statement made by Pat Robertson on his televised program The 700 Club, January 14, 1991<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> ( http://freetruth.50webs.org/C6.htm )