Post by buksh26 on Mar 8, 2006 21:36:36 GMT -5
www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,18397441%255E601,00.html
Pamphlets urge attacks
Richard Kerbaj
March 09, 2006
A RADICAL Islamic group is infiltrating Australian mosques, distributing inflammatory pamphlets urging Muslims to rise up against Australian troops in Iraq and support the insurgency.
Hizb ut-Tahrir is telling local Muslims that coalition forces in Iraq are responsible for the mosque bombing in Samarra last month that left the nation on the brink of civil war.
The group - a hardline political faction banned in Britain, Germany and other countries - is using Friday prayer meetings, traditionally compulsory for all Muslims, to distribute flyers inciting hatred against the West.
According to one of the group's Arabic-English pamphlets, obtained by The Australian on Friday outside Lakemba Mosque in Sydney's southwest, the occupying forces in Iraq, which include the 1320-strong Australian contingent, bombed the Shia mosque in Samarra.
"It is the occupying forces, with America at their head, who are behind the incidences (sic) of killing civilians, bombing markets and mosques, abducting scholars and killing those who are sincere to the Deen (religion)," the four-page flyer says.
The pamphlet blames the coalition forces for creating divisions between Sunnis and Shi'ites and driving a wedge between the two Islamic sects, historically opposed to each other's ideology and religious interpretation.
"What happened in Samarra was of the planning and execution of the occupying forces," the flyer says. "However what is worse and more detestable is the occupying forces achieve their objective by making the Muslims, Sunni and Shia, fight among each other."
The circulation of such propaganda is typical of the Australian arm of Hizb ut-Tahrir (Party of Liberation), which has praised suicide bombers as martyrs.
The radical group has been criticised by John Howard and investigated by ASIO.
ASIO told Attorney-General Philip Ruddock last year there was not enough evidence to designate Hizb ut-Tahrir as a terrorist organisation.
But the new anti-terror laws have lowered the threshold for proscription of organisations to include groups that advocate terrorist acts, rather than being involved in actually planning or carrying out terrorist acts.
Hizb ut-Tahrir's website says the party does not "advocate or engage in violence". But the flyer has a different message, saying: "We urge you to make the calamity of Samarra as a motivator to repel the invaders and that you take them as enemies."
Mr Ruddock expressed alarm yesterday after being sent a copy of Hizb ut-Tahrir's flyer by The Australian. "The Attorney-General would be concerned about any material distributed in our Australian community that would be seen to be advocating or inciting terrorism or violence," a spokeswoman said.
Hizb ut-Tahrir was set up by a Palestinian judge in 1953 to inspire the creation of a Khalifah (Caliphate) state ruled by a Muslim leader. Its Sydney arm lists more than 200 members.
Hizb ut-Tahrir spokesman Wassim Doureihi refused to comment yesterday. However, one member of the group agreed to talk on condition of anonymity.
"The group tries to target the entire Muslim community (in Sydney) through different mosques," he said.
"Usually after Friday prayer, members hand out our pamphlets outside mosques."
Ahmad Kamaledine, president of the Lebanese Muslim Association, responsible for Lakemba Mosque, said he was opposed to Hizb ut-Tahrir circulating their flyers outside the mosque but had no authority to stop them.
"We don't support any type of material being handed out in the mosque," he said.
"However, we have no jurisdiction over what gets handed out outside the mosque, because it's in a public place."
Pamphlets urge attacks
Richard Kerbaj
March 09, 2006
A RADICAL Islamic group is infiltrating Australian mosques, distributing inflammatory pamphlets urging Muslims to rise up against Australian troops in Iraq and support the insurgency.
Hizb ut-Tahrir is telling local Muslims that coalition forces in Iraq are responsible for the mosque bombing in Samarra last month that left the nation on the brink of civil war.
The group - a hardline political faction banned in Britain, Germany and other countries - is using Friday prayer meetings, traditionally compulsory for all Muslims, to distribute flyers inciting hatred against the West.
According to one of the group's Arabic-English pamphlets, obtained by The Australian on Friday outside Lakemba Mosque in Sydney's southwest, the occupying forces in Iraq, which include the 1320-strong Australian contingent, bombed the Shia mosque in Samarra.
"It is the occupying forces, with America at their head, who are behind the incidences (sic) of killing civilians, bombing markets and mosques, abducting scholars and killing those who are sincere to the Deen (religion)," the four-page flyer says.
The pamphlet blames the coalition forces for creating divisions between Sunnis and Shi'ites and driving a wedge between the two Islamic sects, historically opposed to each other's ideology and religious interpretation.
"What happened in Samarra was of the planning and execution of the occupying forces," the flyer says. "However what is worse and more detestable is the occupying forces achieve their objective by making the Muslims, Sunni and Shia, fight among each other."
The circulation of such propaganda is typical of the Australian arm of Hizb ut-Tahrir (Party of Liberation), which has praised suicide bombers as martyrs.
The radical group has been criticised by John Howard and investigated by ASIO.
ASIO told Attorney-General Philip Ruddock last year there was not enough evidence to designate Hizb ut-Tahrir as a terrorist organisation.
But the new anti-terror laws have lowered the threshold for proscription of organisations to include groups that advocate terrorist acts, rather than being involved in actually planning or carrying out terrorist acts.
Hizb ut-Tahrir's website says the party does not "advocate or engage in violence". But the flyer has a different message, saying: "We urge you to make the calamity of Samarra as a motivator to repel the invaders and that you take them as enemies."
Mr Ruddock expressed alarm yesterday after being sent a copy of Hizb ut-Tahrir's flyer by The Australian. "The Attorney-General would be concerned about any material distributed in our Australian community that would be seen to be advocating or inciting terrorism or violence," a spokeswoman said.
Hizb ut-Tahrir was set up by a Palestinian judge in 1953 to inspire the creation of a Khalifah (Caliphate) state ruled by a Muslim leader. Its Sydney arm lists more than 200 members.
Hizb ut-Tahrir spokesman Wassim Doureihi refused to comment yesterday. However, one member of the group agreed to talk on condition of anonymity.
"The group tries to target the entire Muslim community (in Sydney) through different mosques," he said.
"Usually after Friday prayer, members hand out our pamphlets outside mosques."
Ahmad Kamaledine, president of the Lebanese Muslim Association, responsible for Lakemba Mosque, said he was opposed to Hizb ut-Tahrir circulating their flyers outside the mosque but had no authority to stop them.
"We don't support any type of material being handed out in the mosque," he said.
"However, we have no jurisdiction over what gets handed out outside the mosque, because it's in a public place."
