http://au.news.yahoo.com/070311/2/12phr.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Monday March 12, 05:36 PM
<b>Sheik Alhilali wants own political party</b>
The outspoken Muslim cleric who threatened to run candidates against the Labor Party at the NSW state election is considering setting up his own political party.
Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali failed to deliver on his threat to persuade independent Islamic candidates to nominate against western Sydney Labor MPs at the March 24 state election.
He now says he has established a political committee of Muslim community elders and forming a party is the next step.
"There's a new committee with people who have some experience in politics and most certainly in the future there must be something along those lines," Sheik Alhilali told ABC Radio through an interpreter.
The sheik is well known for sparking controversy, attracting criticism earlier this year for claiming Australian Muslims are more entitled to the country than those with a convict heritage, and last year comparing scantily clad women to uncovered meat.
The sheik's friend and spokesman Keysar Trad said the new Islamic political party would be an organisation founded on universal human values and open to all faiths. <!--emo&:roll--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ROTFL.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='ROTFL.gif' /><!--endemo-->
"It's not going to be a party of Muslims only and it's not going to be called the Muslim Party," Mr Trad said.
"The whole idea is to promote fairness across the board and specific values, such as honesty and dignity and equality.
"I think it's a good idea to establish a party that can act as an alternative for people who are no longer satisfied with the major parties."
NSW Premier Morris Iemma said if Sheik Alhilali founded a political party it would fail to win the support of the Islamic community or other Australians.
"If he does do that he'll find that it won't receive support from the community, let alone the broader community, because they reject everything that he stands for," Mr Iemma told reporters.
"(They will reject) what he says, what he stands for and the values that he holds."
Mr Iemma said he doubted the establishment of the party would proceed.
"I think it's another day, another statement from the sheik that rings hollow," Mr Iemma he said.
On Sunday, NSW Christian Democrats leader Fred Nile, who is seeking reelection to the upper house at the March 24 poll, called for a 10 year moratorium on Islamic immigration to Australia, saying preference should be given to Christians discriminated against in some Muslim countries.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->About stuff in blue: So Christian democrats in Australia can ask for an end to <i>legal islamic immigration</i> into Australia for the next ten years, and in place want to take in oppressed christians from islamic countries - all this without Indian pseculars, christos and islamics screaming themselves hoarse about it.
But when India wants a ban on <i>illegal islamic infiltration</i> from Bangladesh (and W Pakistan), but okays Hindu refugees from there - all the Indian pseculars and christoislamics are ready to scream this is 'unsecular, Hindutva and communalist'.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Monday March 12, 05:36 PM
<b>Sheik Alhilali wants own political party</b>
The outspoken Muslim cleric who threatened to run candidates against the Labor Party at the NSW state election is considering setting up his own political party.
Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali failed to deliver on his threat to persuade independent Islamic candidates to nominate against western Sydney Labor MPs at the March 24 state election.
He now says he has established a political committee of Muslim community elders and forming a party is the next step.
"There's a new committee with people who have some experience in politics and most certainly in the future there must be something along those lines," Sheik Alhilali told ABC Radio through an interpreter.
The sheik is well known for sparking controversy, attracting criticism earlier this year for claiming Australian Muslims are more entitled to the country than those with a convict heritage, and last year comparing scantily clad women to uncovered meat.
The sheik's friend and spokesman Keysar Trad said the new Islamic political party would be an organisation founded on universal human values and open to all faiths. <!--emo&:roll--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ROTFL.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='ROTFL.gif' /><!--endemo-->
"It's not going to be a party of Muslims only and it's not going to be called the Muslim Party," Mr Trad said.
"The whole idea is to promote fairness across the board and specific values, such as honesty and dignity and equality.
"I think it's a good idea to establish a party that can act as an alternative for people who are no longer satisfied with the major parties."
NSW Premier Morris Iemma said if Sheik Alhilali founded a political party it would fail to win the support of the Islamic community or other Australians.
"If he does do that he'll find that it won't receive support from the community, let alone the broader community, because they reject everything that he stands for," Mr Iemma told reporters.
"(They will reject) what he says, what he stands for and the values that he holds."
Mr Iemma said he doubted the establishment of the party would proceed.
"I think it's another day, another statement from the sheik that rings hollow," Mr Iemma he said.
On Sunday, NSW Christian Democrats leader Fred Nile, who is seeking reelection to the upper house at the March 24 poll, called for a 10 year moratorium on Islamic immigration to Australia, saying preference should be given to Christians discriminated against in some Muslim countries.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->About stuff in blue: So Christian democrats in Australia can ask for an end to <i>legal islamic immigration</i> into Australia for the next ten years, and in place want to take in oppressed christians from islamic countries - all this without Indian pseculars, christos and islamics screaming themselves hoarse about it.
But when India wants a ban on <i>illegal islamic infiltration</i> from Bangladesh (and W Pakistan), but okays Hindu refugees from there - all the Indian pseculars and christoislamics are ready to scream this is 'unsecular, Hindutva and communalist'.