Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister has changed the tone of the government's language about Muslim Australians, and that is a good thing. Yesterday there was a return to the old rhetoric from the Minister for Resources, which was needlessly aggressive in its tone, illogical in its substance and self-defeating in its impact. His comments were an attempt, more than a week on, to relaunch an attack against the Grand Mufti of Australia, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohamed. The language of a minority of other members of parliament looks like a coordinated attempt to ignite a sectarian debate.

When people want to claim that Muslim leaders are not being sufficiently resolute in condemning terrorism, they frequently refer to my friend, Dr Jamal Rifi, as someone who makes statements they support. I hope it sounded a note of caution then when those same people saw in the paper today Dr Rifi referring to Dr Mohamed as someone who 'always denouncing acts of terror'.

Following the horrific attacks in Paris and Beirut, Dr Mohamed made three public statements, on his Facebook page, by media release and by further clarification. The first clearly condemned the attacks; the second was terribly worded, but it was an attempt to call for community cohesion; and the third clarified the condemnation of the attacks.

The minister's comments yesterday questioned the sincerity of Dr Mohamed's condemnation claiming 'his first reaction was his instinctive reaction'. Why, oh why, would anyone think it was clever to claim that a religious and community leader who is condemning terrorism does not really mean it? Whose interests could possibly be advanced by that? The minister also forgot the first reaction was not the media statement, but the Facebook post which said the following:

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, families and people of Paris and Beirut at this time of unspeakable horror. We will continually stand united in peace with them against such heinous attacks of cowardice. There are no words to truly describe the devastation of these acts but we will continue in solidarity and pray for peace.

If the first reaction is the one that counts, that was the first statement put out. The media statement on its own did send the wrong message, and that is why the third statement went out.

But why try to undermine a Muslim leader who has been known throughout the community from the time he was appointed as someone who has consistently denounced and condemned terrorism? It is self-defeating. I do not doubt for one minute the sincere commitment of every member of this parliament to defeating the scourge of terrorism. That is why I urge all members to stop attacking our allies. Community leaders who have such a history of condemning terrorism are essential allies in this battle. If you attack and demean these allies, there is only one cause which is strengthened, and it is the reprehensible one we all oppose. When goodwill is on offer, we should welcome the goodwill and return it.

The old rhetoric offered by the minister should be viewed as a clumsy statement which one day will be clarified. It has been devastating over the last few days to see members of this place make statements which are clearly calculated to cause division. If an appeal to decency does not register with some MPs, then maybe an appeal to national security will. The heads of our security agencies and police forces all say that this community is our strongest ally in defeating the influence of these horrific groups. Surely, that is enough.

To the half million Australians who hold Islam as their faith, I say: just as the extremists do not represent you, in the same way the politicians stoking division do not represent the majority of members on either side in this place. To the rest of Australia, let's welcome friendship when it is offered and not try to demonise Australians who in fact stand together with us. To those who have made comments which have reverberated around the country and stoked division in the last few days, please stop. This helps no-one. It tells people who are doing the right thing that you do not trust them. It hurts and assassinates the character of people who are our allies in the community.

I will disagree with the Prime Minister on many issues, but when he calls for calm, could every member of this parliament—like the speaker before me, the member for Berowra—heed that call, whether they are backbench or frontbench.