Muslim Australians believe overwhelmingly that they are unfairly targeted by counter-terrorism laws but say terrorist groups distort the true meaning of Islam, a survey of community attitudes has revealed.
Around one in five of the 800 Muslims polled believed that terrorist groups sometimes have legitimate grievances, the survey found, hinting at the delicate task Australian community leaders face in countering the propaganda war waged by groups such as Islamic State.
The researchers, including University of Queensland criminologist Adrian Cherney, said the findings showed that police, especially those in Sydney, needed to do more to build trust and a willingness to cooperate among Muslim communities. [421 comments]
[TOP RATED COMMENT] .... WELL, of all the immigrants in Australia, it isn't maoris, Tongans, Chinese, Japanese, Italians, Dutch, Swedes, French, Germans, Jews, English, Americans Spanish, Irish etc etc etc who are behind the terrorist acts that have brought about the changes to our laws.
To deny there is a link between terrorism in and against the West and muslims beggars belief. Who would think that the terrorist laws drawn up in almost every Western country are not reasonably targeted at muslims? Nobody else did the 9/11 Twin Towers...nobody else did the Paris shootings and nobody else did the Lindt Cafe killings......and most importantly, only muslims to any degree express sympathy for the perpetrators.
Are muslims completely stupid to the extent that they can't work out why they're the target of anti terrorism laws? I know they're reputed to have lower than average IQs but this is ridiculous.
I think muslims don't like infidels because we're not religious enough, yet, they choose to live amongst us infidels, and then complain about us carrying on our lives in the way that we always have.
[ANOTHER] "One of the most damaging and enduringly damaging things this regime has done is to continually highlight and isolate Australian Muslims through its actions and words and the use of conflict as a tactic when its poll rating flag."
Wrong - Muslims have isolated themselves.
[ANOTHER] It is such a difficult situation. I know a number of Muslims personally and also professionally. There is not one unpleasant statement I can make about any of them. they are all polite, intelligent, hard working and caring, yet at the same time I cannot dispute the fact that more than 90% of terrorist acts that I read about are undertaken by muslims, on behalf of muslim organisations, in the name of Allah and are simply barbaric
wiser minds than mine need to work out a way to maintain the safety of the public and not offend what are no doubt the majority of peace loving muslims
[ANOTHER] Holding rallies calling for the deaths of those who insult the prophet might have something to do with it.
Ceasing the anti-Israel rhetoric might also help.
Clamping down on the halal certification scam (named as such by muslims themselves) would be a good idea, too.
I'd start with attitudes like that.
[ANOTHER] one in five believe terrorist groups have legitimate grievences? seriously and this backwards culture wonders why it is targeted. 400 000 Muslims in Australia , statistically thats 80 000 muslims that admit to holding these views in this country.
[ANOTHER] A few years ago I worked in an M.P.s office for a while in Western Sydney and one day received a call from a journalist from a Muslim newspaper.
The caller complained that "the level of hostility is rising" and wanted his M.P. "to do something about".
I passed on the message but what I should have said to him was that if he wanted more acceptance then the best thing to do would be to denounce individuals like Taj El-Din Hilaly, the former Imam at Lakemba mosque who made statements comparing women to uncovered meat as a justification for rape.
Other Muslims that I have spoken to believe that the September 11 attacks and the Taj Mahal hotel attacks in Mumbai were the work of the CIA as a means to "discredit Muslims".
Until these sorts of ideas - which are evidently prevalent in the Muslim community - are themselves discredited, little progress will be made in improving the acceptance of Muslims in the wider population.
The Dutch politician Geert Wilders described the attitude of many Muslims as that of "settlers" in a new land that they intend to occupy and one that they will eventually dominate with the introduction of Sharia Law and Islamic culture.
No other group believes that they have the right to force their beliefs on to the rest of the population so why should the Muslim community be surprised if hostility and rejection are the consequence of that insistence?
[ANOTHER] Islam belongs in the dark ages from where it came, and that is why in EVERY western civilised country they find themselves at odds with the citizens they have begged to live with and aspire to be like....the thing is, you can't have the Western goodies without playing the Western game and behaving like you're living in Moses' time is not a great start...
[ANOTHER] Tough luck. Islamic extremism is pretty real and people are scared of it. The govt may be overplaying it for politics, but there is legitimate fear too.
I'm pretty well over muslims telling us that ISIS and those like them are not true muslims. I don't buy that.
.... The reality is that the Islamic State is Islamic. Very Islamic. Yes, it has attracted psychopaths and adventure seekers, drawn largely from the disaffected populations of the Middle East and Europe. But the religion preached by its most ardent followers derives from coherent and even learned interpretations of Islam.
[ANOTHER] Muslims are in a hard place, Australian Law contradicts Islamic Law and hence why they feel targeted
Death for being Raped, Apostasy, Homosexuality, the fact that women are equal, children are not allow to marry, polygamy etc contradicts Islamic Law and why they see Australian society as unfare. [The Guardian] Read more
