Ikebal Patel, former president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, said the grand mufti could be viewed as an apologist for the attackers because of the statement.
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That statement said current strategies to deal with terrorism had failed and it is “therefore imperative that all causative factors” such as racism and Islamophobia be addressed. At least 129 people were killed and hundreds were wounded after shooting and suicide bombing attacks in Paris on Friday night.
Treasurer Scott Morrison has also weighed in, telling Fairfax Media’s 3AW he believed the Muslim community would be disappointed by the comments.
“We gave it a few thought”, he said.
The council referred to a 2014 statement from the grand mufti that said Isis were criminals “committing crimes against humanity and sins against God”.
Mohammed credited those who called for calm and responsibility as apportioning blame or stigmatizing “a certain segment of society” only undermines community harmony and safety.
Releasing statements in Arabic and French the group claimed the “blessed battle” was an act of revenge for France’s involvement in the US-led coalition bombing its militants in Iraq and Syria.
Mohamed told Al Jazeera that, for now, he and a small team of volunteers were just focusing on getting the 500 signatures so they could register the party.
That said, Australia’s convoluted electoral system, where political wheeler-dealing is often more important than the number of votes registered, means it is possible to be elected with very limited support. The other people don’t know the difference. They put all Muslims in the same [basket].
The situation is under “constant” review with Australia’s domestic security agencies monitoring approximately 400 individuals, while Australia’s terror alert level remains at “high”, indicating an attack is likely.
Despite there being no specific information of any similar events being planned for Australia, there were “no guarantees”, Duncan Lewis said.
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Dr Mohammed said anyone fighting with Islamic State was going to a “lost world” and entering a “great raging fire”.
