One Nation, Labor and teal MPs have joined Jewish community leaders in calling for new powers to target hate preachers after a religious extremist called for followers to “take up arms” against Christians and Jews. Source: SMH.
Wentworth MP Allegra Spender said the statements from Melbourne preacher Abu Ahmad, who is allied to a notorious Sydney fundamentalist linked to the Bondi shooters, proved “why we needed stronger and nationally consistent hate speech legislation”.
“I hope the royal commission will make recommendations relating to this, but regardless, I will continue the push and urge all politicians who express sincere concern about hate preachers to back stronger protections,” said Ms Spender, whose electorate incorporates Bondi Beach.
Reflecting worry about radicalism across the political divide since Australia’s worst terror attack, One Nation’s Pauline Hanson talked about “advocacy” of terrorism but stopped short of endorsing broad anti-vilification laws that would make it easier for authorities to go after religious leaders, neo-Nazis or others who promote hatred based on religion, race, gender or sexuality.
Labor initially proposed such laws after the Bondi massacre but the Nationals and Greens opposed the push and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese shelved the proposal.
Debate over hate speech laws, which have long been a thorny issue in Australia, has been revived on the same day that British authorities foiled an alleged terror plot at an air force base in England that has been used by US warplanes to bomb Iran.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said the offence of inciting violence was virtually impossible to prove as it was currently drafted. He said authorities were often left to search for other offences, which made it extremely difficult to target religious extremists.
Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP last month argued that free speech and freedom of protest were core to liberal democracy, but Australia did not have the balance right.
“The recent rhetoric of some activists and even some judges suggests that political communication has a presumptive priority or trumping power over many or all other rights, no matter how it is exercised,” Archbishop Fisher said in late August, pointing to the NSW Court of Appeals’ decision in April to strike down the Minns government’s anti-protest laws.
“After almost three years of this experience, I think it is high time to ask whether we have the balance right between freedom of political communication, now recognised as implied in our Constitution, and other fundamental freedoms, including the freedom to gather and worship in peace.”
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Hanson, Spender both call for crack down on hate preachers (By Paul Sakkal, Sydney Morning Herald)
