Muslim Imams Council concerned of spawning prejudice

October 7, 2019 by J-Wire Newsdesk
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The Australian National Imams Council is in contact with Jewish organisations over the shocking incident in which a Jewish 12-yr-old was forced to kiss a fellow-student Muslim’s shoe but is concerned the story will give rise to “gratuitous referencing”.

Media spokesman Bilal Rauf stated: “We have reached out to the relevant Jewish organisations to express our support and concern relating to the conduct.
However, we have also shared with them a separate concern relating to the article in what we believe to be a prejudicial characterisation of the incident in terms of the faith of only one student – what appears to be a case of gratuitous referencing.
Indeed, it is very unusual to see a headline which, for instance, talks about antisemitic or Islamaphobic acts committed by persons of any other faith.  Moreover, here, there was apparently a “swarm” of other students and subsequent incidents where the victim was bashed. There is no mention of the faith of this “swarm” of people or the people who committed violence. As for the one student whose faith is singled out, we do not even know what, if any, role that faith played in his conduct. In matters such as this, it is very troubling when incidents are described in terms of faith against faith, community against community.

This has the effect of engendering division, tension and conflict between communities rather than fairly report on a matter.  This is typical of the type of reporting which has held a whole community to ransom because of the misguided acts of one person which may not even have had any connection to faith. We would not generally see incidents described with reference to faith. I don’t even recall Tarrant’s faith being raised in relation to the Christchurch tragedy (and rightfully so).  Such gratuitous referencing is something the Jewish community has also suffered from.

I have expressed the above views based on the content of the article which we have reviewed.  It is surprising to see the faith of a person invoked where it appears there is no basis for such referencing.
We are working on various fronts with the Jewish organisations given the shared interests and concerns. It is then unhelpful to see articles which discuss an incident which entrenches a sense of division and suspicion rather than constructive and collaborative efforts to address increasing levels of prejudice and vilification directed at both communities, particularly from an increasingly vocal right-wing group”.

Comments

6 Responses to “Muslim Imams Council concerned of spawning prejudice”
  1. Tom Schwartz says:

    The faith of the antisemite in question is relevant in my eyes because of the centuries-long history of Muslim hatred, persecution and murder of Jews.

  2. George Riszko says:

    The comments would be fair, if not for teh fact that such behaviour is a ”normal” part of Islamic tradition. The Muslim youth was reflecting his culture.

  3. Steve Lieblich says:

    Was the victim Jewish?
    Was the antisemite Muslim?
    If “yes” is the answer to both questions, then WHAT exactly is the problem with the article???

    • Paul Winter says:

      The problem is the attitude of the imams who fail to uneqivocally condemn a Muslim displaying anti-Jewish aggressioin while at the same time expressing concern that Islam’s name and/or Muslims as a group might be blamed for the “misguided” actions of one of them, all the while staying shtum on intentions to guide their followers.

  4. Leslie Ackerman says:

    It sounds like they are applying PR by trying to fix what they themselves have promoted for year. Because it all starts in the Mosque. I would not trust them. When we see DEEDS and not just words, we will start believing.

  5. Miriam Halpern says:

    It’s astonishing how suddenly the Muslim culprit has become a victim of his own circumstance.
    It’s not outrageous to entaintain the possibility that Islam had a role to play.

    It’s ridiculous that not one Imam has held its people responsible for these despicable acts. The consistent behaviours are ‘no accountability, no responsibility, virtue signalling & default victimhood.

    The Imam ‘reached out’ for no other reason but to avoid social scrutiny. Classic use of Taqiyya*.
    An erroneous show of concern and, a complete and utter nonsense.

    *Taqiyya is an Islamic juridical term whose shifting meaning relates to when a Muslim is allowed, under Sharia law, to lie.
    Taqiyya can be used as a tool to deceive non-muslims.

  6. Paul Winter says:

    Very eloquent observations about the referencing the religion of an offender and laying blame on votaries of that faith. And it is heartwarming that the Australian National Imams Council has readed out to Jewish bodies because referencing is a joint concern.

    Dead silence on condemning the Muslim boot wearer, whose offence was due to his being “misguided”. And we must not, of course, suppose that the other bullies were Muslims.

    It is reassuring to know that the imams stand with us and do their best to avoid the referencing their community, no matter what its members might do. One should not hold one’s breath while the imams organise to eliminate the misguidedness that affected the boy who bullied a Jew.

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