No dramas at the Australian Islamic Peace Conference

March 22, 2013 by  
Read on for article

The Jewish Community Council of Victoria campaigned to support multiculturalism in order to avoid  antisemitism, religious intolerance or racial vilification from speakers at last weekend’s Australian Islamic Peace Conference.

David-Marlow

David Marlow

JCCV Executive Director David Marlow said that “like a duck, there was not much to see above the surface, but underneath we were pedalling like crazy.”

The JCCV was active in three main areas:

  • Firstly, with the excellent support of the ECAJ, we were researching the backgrounds and previous comments of the proposed and alleged speakers at the AIPC.  Many of the highly contentious speakers who raised anxieties the most appear to have never been invited or at least had not applied for visas into Australia.  We were constantly monitoring the internet, as the list of speakers being promoted changed almost daily.

  • Secondly, through many letters, meetings and briefings we expressed our horror and dismay at some of the proposed speakers because of their past comments to the organiser of the AIPC, the Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV), the Victorian Multicultural Commission and the State Government.  The Minister for Multicultural Affairs was very supportive and warned the AIPC organiser of his responsibility with respect to any potential racial vilification, religious intolerance or inappropriate incitement at the conference.

  • Thirdly, we worked through the Jewish Muslim Christian Association (JCMA) and the Victorian Multicultural Advisory Group to have multifaith group support for statements in support of multiculturalism and genuine interfaith dialogue in the interest of community harmony, but warning the AIPC that participants who introduced overseas hatreds and incited religious vilification was unacceptable.  We achieved a particularly strong statement supporting our view from the JCMA which was signed by the JCMA President, who is himself an Imam, and many church groups strongly supported our case.

None of the contentious speakers made an appearance at the actual event, and it received very little publicity.  The JCCV will continue to work with the State Government, ICV and various interfaith bodies to help ensure that we can avoid any repetition of the anxieties raised.

Comments

17 Responses to “No dramas at the Australian Islamic Peace Conference”
  1. Rita says:

    6th attempt:

    Rita says:
    Your comment is awaiting moderation.

    March 23, 2013 12:13 am at 12:13 am
    3rd attempt at posting this comment!

    Gil Solomon: Your comments make a lot of sense to me.

    I dont know who is who in the local “Jewish leadership”, but the cowardly and outright offensive behaviour of those who purported to speak on behalf of the Australian Jewry towards one of the most public defenders of Israel and the Jewish people, Geert Wilders, has cost you quite a lot of support from your non-Jewish friends. The comments I hear around me go something like “why should we care and stick our necks out if “they” side with their own ennemies who want them wiped out against one of their more courageous defenders?”.

    People who know me and my blog http://littlenotesfromparis.blogspot.com.au/ know that I am on the side of Israel and the Jews, but, increasingly I wonder…

    Reply

    • Otto Waldmann says:

      Rita, decency and wisdom need you right here where serious discussions are carried out.
      Now that Henry has seen what his funerals would look like, I feel reinnvigorated by his considerate change of mind – because we all know that his heart is right here anyway, 72, 82, 92, 102, 122 und zu weiter – and as such your thoughts make up for the most graceful of madchen any Papageno would love to have in his cage, as you are, indeed, a dream……………..

      …the only kind of reply I could fathom

  2. Sabra says:

    Look forward to the day one of the commentators join the representative body and start to make a difference where it matters, rather than just writing about it on J-Wire.

    • Shirlee says:

      Looks like another one of my comments has gone missing just for change.
      Rachel you joined” the representative body” and you can at least try to make a difference, but you don’t come to meetings where you can voice your opinion.

      Most people involved seem to be Left and loony Left and hence we have things going on that most of us don’t like or approve of.

    • Otto Waldmann says:

      What do you know, Sabra !! It has been done and your ( and ours ) so to speak leaders care about criticism as much as you see their “faces” on sites just like this one,w hich is only to tell us what a great job they are doing…………….

    • Gil Solomon says:

      Why do you assume that many are not taking steps to do just that.

  3. MICHAEL says:

    The Fact that the JCCV has joined a group JCMA[ Jewish Christian Muslim Assos] consisting of Christians , Jews and one Muslim group and that the Imam is the President of this group is questionable once again showing the Jews in a subservient , week light.
    The fact that a main stream Jewish org has gone into bed with the ICV that up until recently had links to the extremist anti- semetic Muslim Brotherhood’s American branch CAIR [ I would bet the ICV have only removed their link to CAIR on their website so not to attract undue attention only and still probably support them] shows how little JCCV board members know about the background of who they form alliances with .
    ICV [ Islamic Council of Victoria] support all the Anti- israel Palestinian activist groups which is their prerogative but hey why would a Jewish org want to support ICV and give their anti Israel stance some credibility . I suspect these decisions are made by board members with a leftist worldly view , which is not surprising as so many Jewish organization nowadays have this agenda.
    I wonder how many Pro- Israel , anti- Palestinian groups are affiliated with the JCCV equivalent ICV . I wonder how many Synagogue applications in Lakemba, Preston or Broadmeadows the ICV would go into fight for at the council level.
    Some of the decisions by the JCCV only support this argument as example a previous JCCV President wanted to train the Muslim community in security { real noddyland leftist stuff] . Another decision by the JCCV is to support one of the most active pro Palestinian advocacy groups who use their Jewishness to demonize Israel AJDS .The JCCV still justify their dumb and irresponsible action after AJDS activists demonstrated outside their very offices demonizing the JNF and Israeli Jews recently.
    When the so called Muslim peace conference { Muslim peace conference / oxymoron] was announced just after the JCCV joined the ICV via the JCMA group to appease them [ ICV] and attack Geert Wilders because he was too pro- Israel too concerned about Jewish Human rights but [ they will argue because he was a critic of Islam. ] JCCV was asked to get their group including their ICV partner to come out with a similar public statement condemning the extremest Islamic speakers at that time were believed to be appearing at the Islamic event, to condemn Islamic extremism in general and too condemn Antisemitism , which would have been consistent with their holier than thou doctrine.
    I was told that the ICV would never agree to such a statement. WHICH PROVED TO BE TRUE.
    The JCCV should have walked away from dodgy group who all dance to the tune of just one of their members the ICV of course.

  4. Otto Waldmann says:

    In addition to all of the comments posted, I would venture that the Islamic ideolgical aparatus does not function on “Peace Conferences” or any other type of mass communication which would be designed specifically for NON Islamic consumption.
    The forked tongue of Islam demands that the message discharged to those outside its real demographics, must be one of deceit, of giving the (false ) impression that all is quiet and peaceful on the Muslim front.
    Anyone that allows his/her brains to be guided by a civilised, western type ethical norms integrated forum of Islam where, as this enchated David Marlow seems to believe, seemingly ISLAM has been determined to – what !!!! – change its apporach, its mantra of ideology, ethics, methodology etc., deserves the loudest – not to mention sarcastic – laughter, the type specifically reserved for clowns.

    The Conference tried to fool people like JCCV and ECAJ, not to mention the rest of the observers and multicultural naiffs as the Peace Conference organisers are, indeed, having a ball reading about the “accomplishments” of the Yahudim.
    Wake up duckies, you achieved a groisse gurnischt !!!

  5. Paul Winter says:

    I’m with you 100% Gil. The issue is not whether one or another antisemite slithered into Australia, but that the Australian Islamic Peace Conference organisers invited creatures of that ilk, creatures with whom they plainly sympathise. Even if none of those Jew-haters turned up, the Islamic community was telling any who would listen, that they regard Jewish Australians as sons of pigs and apes.

    It is of no interest that the JCCV was like a duck paddling like hell under the surface. It should have been an eagle swooping down and plucking the eyes out of the insolent supremicists. They should have been taught a lesson to never even think of introducing jihadis into our community.

    The self praise isn’t worth a damn. Researching, complaining, liaising all behind the scene to achieve a desired outcome and to provide a laugh to the local Jew haters about how they made the Jewish leadership wet their pants in fear of introducing hate and having all of their mulitculturalism work exposed as a mirage.

    Any leadership worthy of that title would have organised a demonstration in front of the Vic & Federal parliaments, organised delegations to meet top officials, issued public statements denouncing the organisers and denouncing their perverted concepts of peace, held a demonstration in from of the Victorian Islamic Centre and declared that the organisers are acting in an unAustralian manner and that they either fit in or the Jewish community will work to ensure that they flit out. An imported Jew hating group is unacceptable to us and if not stopped in their track will prove to be unacceptable to the general community. That was Wilders’ message, which the Vic Muslims confirm as true and to which our “leadership”, acting as a pack of terrified dhimmis, blinds itself and wants to blind us as well.

    • Rita says:

      Absolutely wonderful comment, Paul Winter, especially this one:

      …the JCCV was like a duck paddling like hell under the surface. It should have been an eagle swooping down and plucking the eyes out of the insolent supremicists. They should have been taught a lesson to never even think of introducing jihadis into our community…

      “Sitting duck” comes to mind. 😉

  6. Raoul says:

    Does the author wish to suggest the JCCV or any of the mentioned self-appointed community organisations has unearthed truths not well-documented, widely known and circulated for years? Spencer, Geller, Horowitz, Solomon, Bat Ye’or et al, as well as the Australian Q Society have long pointed this out and MEMRI has documented with great accuracy what these “religious leaders” have in mind – and how they speak in very different tongues to their respective audience. Australia’s own Islamic scholars Dr Durie, Dr Powers and Dr Brendle were not stumm either.

    After all, there is nothing to be proud of when it comes to the self-destructive doctrine of multiculturalism. Multicult and moral relativism go hand-in-hand. Multicult gives these Islamic fanatics breathing space and allows them to profess community support and election power in the ghetto seats they command. Much more than they ever had in the past 1,400 years.
    Observant Muslims may only make up 2% of the population, but the self-appointed mullahs and imams command over 30% of the population in at least four federal seats. Religious apartheid has its merits.

    Perhaps it is time we openly discuss the merits of cremating this suicidal multicult doctrine and replacing it with a positive vision of a multi-ethnic and integrated Australian society, one that is based on classical Judaeo-Christian and Humanistic principles of individual Liberty, democracy and equal rights and responsibilities for all.

    There is a lot to learn from the mistakes Europe made post WW2. The Hon Geert Wilders MP was here to give us some hints just a short while ago. After all he’s married to a hungarian Jewess for some years, he’s worked in Israel, he’s been over 40 times, he spoke in the Knesset and is good friends with those who wish Israel well. But where was the self-appointed Jewish leadership of Australia between 18 and 22 February 2013?

    • Rita says:

      Raoul: you ask “where was the self-appointed Jewish leadership of Australia between 18 and 22 February 2013?”

      I’m tempted to say, speculatively: “in bed with the deadly ennemies of Israel and the Jewish people”.

      Less speculatively I can say, that they were agitating against one of the very few democratically elected members of a Western democracy who very publically stands by Israel and the Jewish people. I wrote in an earlier post here (which has not been published yet) that this shameful behaviour towards Geert Wilders “in the name of the Australian Jews” has eroded quite a lot of good will towards that community.

  7. geoffff says:

    It’s as if there’s some kind of shadow game going on here.

    The JCCV can congratulate itself that it has stopped any incitement to genocide and vilification IN PUBLIC, where there could be TV cameras and journalists around, if it likes. Frankly I don’t think that is good enough. Of course the State Government is going to use what it has to stop that. After all it would be embarrassing for all concerned. The first duty of government is to keep a lid on it.

    All this does is keep the venom beneath the surface. It’s still there with a vengeance. Just not usually in public is all; where we can all see it for what it is. Anything said in public is done with a nod and a wink. A kind of shadow language where the Mufti of Australia can talk unmolested about the job of the “rocks and trees” of Gaza while celebrating Hamas.

  8. MICHAEL says:

    The Fact that the JCCV has joined a group JCMA[ Jewish Christian Muslim Assos] consisting of Christians , Jews and one Muslim group and that the Imam is the President of this group is questionable once again showing the Jews in a subservient , week light.
    The fact that a main stream Jewish org has gone into bed with the ICV that up until recently had links to the extremist anti- semetic Muslim Brotherhood’s American branch CAIR [ I would bet the ICV have only removed their link to CAIR on their website so not to attract undue attention only and still probably support them] shows how little JCCV board members know about the background of who they form alliances with .
    ICV [ Islamic Council of Victoria] support all the Anti- israel Palestinian activist groups which is their prerogative but hey why would a Jewish org want to support ICV and give their anti Israel stance some credibility . I suspect these decisions are made by board members with a leftist worldly view , which is not surprising as so many Jewish organization nowadays have this agenda.
    I wonder how many Pro- Israel , anti- Palestinian groups are affiliated with the JCCV equivalent ICV . I wonder how many Synagogue applications in Lakemba, Preston or Broadmeadows the ICV would go into fight for at the council level.
    Some of the decisions by the JCCV only support this argument as example a previous JCCV President wanted to train the Muslim community in security { real noddyland leftist stuff] . Another decision by the JCCV is to support one of the most active pro Palestinian advocacy groups who use their Jewishness to demonize Israel AJDS .The JCCV still justify their dumb and irresponsible action after AJDS activists demonstrated outside their very offices demonizing the JNF and Israeli Jews recently.
    When the so called Muslim peace conference { Muslim peace conference / oxymoron] was announced just after the JCCV joined the ICV via the JCMA group to appease them [ ICV] and attack Geert Wilders because he was too pro- Israel too concerned about Jewish Human rights but [ they will argue because he was a critic of Islam. ] JCCV was asked to get their group including their ICV partner to come out with a similar public statement condemning the extremest Islamic speakers at that time were believed to be appearing at the Islamic event, to condemn Islamic extremism in general and too condemn Antisemitism , which would have been consistent with their holier than thou doctrine.
    I was told that the ICV would never agree to such a statement. WHICH PROVED TO BE TRUE.
    The JCCV should have walked away from dodgy group who all dance to the tune of just one of their members the ICV of course.

    The board at JCCV { & ADC] are a disgrace and a Joke and from my non Jewish friends, non Jewish journalists I know and others that are involved believe the Jewish community have lost respect for not standing up for Jewish and Israeli human-rights …

  9. Shirlee says:

    Well said Gil.

    You know I and many, many others are with you on this issue, even yesterday in the AJN there were a couple of letters.
    These comments are becoming more frequent and yet it makes no impression. This appears to be the same affliction the British Jewish leadership suffers from too.

    We know why the last statement from the ECAJ wasn’t posted here. It was more pathetic than the previous one. They were scared about the how it would be received given the comments it generated

    “Our approach all along has been to wait and see which speakers actually turn up and to assess what they say before we comment”……..How pathetic. What’s wrong with saying it as it is?

    I really wonder what they afraid of? Haven’t we done enough of that over the years. Let’s stand up and be counted.

  10. Gil Solomon says:

    Regardless of the fact that none of the contentious speakers made an appearance, I for one would like to comment on what I perceive as a spineless lack of resolve by our so called elected “leaders.”

    In particular the ECAJ was more concerned whether or not Abdul Rahman al-Sudais did or did not apply for a Visa and not of his previously spoken words, calling for violent jihad and that Jews are the scum of humanity, pigs and monkeys who should be annihilated.

    In the face of these comments, for the ECAJ to come out with that legalistic bland statement that this man and other advertised speakers “have an appalling record of spreading bigotry” etc. is so pathetic it shames us all.

    We need leadership that is prepared to call a spade a spade.
    Leaders whose opening sentence to Islamic Officialdom starts with “how dare you invite people who call us animals who should be annihilated into this country and expect us to sit down with you later, like it’s business as usual.”

    Even when the Assistant Secretary of the Federation of Islamic Councils treated us like fools when saying the Imam’s comments were made in anger (implying he did not mean what he said) not one supposed leader of the Jewish community took him to task.

    With this leadership, we are fast becoming ghetto Jews, too terrified to speak out lest we be seen as politically incorrect.

    As far as the “wait and see” approach, this was appalling and showed a total lack of resolve. What will the ECAJ say next time if there is a direct threat of violence? Will they wait and see if anything happens before making an “assessment’ if they are “appalled” sufficiently enough to comment?

    • Rita says:

      Your comments make a lot of sense to me.

      I dont know who is who in the local “Jewish leadership”, but the cowardly and outright offensive behaviour of those who purported to speak on behalf of the Australian Jewry towards one of the most public defenders of Israel and the Jewish people, Geert Wilders, has cost you quite a lot of support from your non-Jewish friends. The comments I hear around me go something like “why should we care and stick our necks out if “they” side with their own ennemies who want them wiped out against one of their more courageous defenders?”.

      People who know me and my blog http://littlenotesfromparis.blogspot.com.au/ know that I am on the side of Israel and the Jews, but, increasingly I wonder…

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