The sheik was among a group of religious leaders and prominent Islamic Australians at the Iftar dinner hosted by the PM to mark the holy month of Ramadan.
Advertisement
It’s since been revealed the Sheikh has denounced homosexuality as an “evil act” which brought “evil outcomes” in the form of sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS.
“However I always follow such statements with a personal commitment to tolerance and encouragement that all Muslims and all people approach all individuals, no matter their faith, race or sexuality, in a considerate and respectful way”.
Mr Turnbull said he also wasn’t sure when Kirribilli House was due to receive NBN, if indeed it was going without it at the moment.
In one video, uploaded to YouTube three years ago, Sheikh Shady Al-Suleiman says: “More diseases are coming. the most terrifying diseases come from sexual activities. homosexuality [is] spreading all these diseases”.
“Mutual respect is the key to the success of our diverse tolerant multicultural society”, he added. “And, being aware of his views now, I will tell him that they are out of line with mainstream Australian thinking”.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will battle it out live from 6 p.m. on Friday night in Sydney, which will be streamed via Facebook live, Xinhua news agency reported. “Once he did become aware of the views, he condemned them very strongly”.
Following the dinner, Mr Turnbull was interviewed by Aly on Channel Ten’s The Project, revealing how much he enjoyed the taboulleh and fattoush and praised the “energy”, “patriotism” and “enthusiasm” on show.
Steve Gorter thinks so, and he wants to know whether the prime minister has an eye affliction or it’s a sign he’s not telling the truth when answering questions.
Mr Turnbull used the event to call on Muslim leaders to act as “one Australian family united against terrorism” in the aftermath of the Orlando shooting which left 50 people dead.
As the Sydney Morning Herald points out, the Prime Minister is trying to strike a balance between being inclusive of the muslim community and tough on national security, as well as heal over what critics saw as divisive rhetoric from former prime minister Tony Abbott.
Advertisement
“This is why I choose my language carefully”.
