Aussie New Laws Ban Passages of Quran
A scholar could fall foul of the new law even if he simply “advocated the duty of a Muslim to defend his land,” Grand Mufti of Australia Ibrahim Abu Mohammad and the Australian National Imams Council said in a submission to the parliament, Sydney Morning Herald reported on Wednesday, October 8.
“We are therefore concerned that the proposal has serious implications on free speech and will have a chilling effect on legitimate religious and political debate,” the submission, made by the Council representing 250 imams, said.
The Muslims’ recommendations were made after attorney general, George Brandis, said that the public would have a chance to comment on second tranche of national security legislation, commonly known as the Foreign Fighters Bill.
The bill is currently examined by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (JCIS).
Appearing in front of the committee on Wednesday, members of the Muslim Legal Network said the laws should target the extreme fringe, not mainstream Muslims.
They said any religious community could face being charged with a terror-related offence “if they refer back to stories in the Quran, Bible and Torah in their sermons”.
Source: On Islam
