The Australian Muslim community is angry with PM John Howard’s statement that there could be a terrorist attack in Australia a la the London 7/7 bombing.
They claimed, rightly so, that such unsubstantiated warnings would unnecessarily alarm the public and only serve to marginalise the local Muslim communities. They ask John Howard to put up or shut up, meaning if Howard knows of any threat he should bring charges to bear on those terrorists, rather than leave things open ended.
The Australian Opposition has challenged Howard to show evidence that Australia is facing threats from suicide bombers, but Howard has refused to back off from his claims despite the lack of proof.
Sheik Abdul Salam Zoud, a leading cleric, known for his rather radical views, blamed the Australian governments, both federal and state, for allowing overseas screwball clerics to enter Australia to preach their extremist views to Muslim youths here. By permitting such crazies into Australia, who could possibly influence the youths into conducting terrorist acts, he said the Australian government has only itself to blame, should such a terrorist act occur.
The Sheik may have forgotten that some of Howard’s advisers including a former minister have been notoriously known to use such alarming statements to marshal public support for his party. In an election some 4 years ago Howard claimed refugees on a boat threw their children overboard to force entry into Australia. That was subsequently found to be a lie.
But before the inquiry, that scam worked to disgust (what terrible human beings would do such things to their children) and alarm the Australian voters into re-electing Howard to a new term, because he projected himself as the strong forceful leader that would turn away the tide of such terrible Middle-East refugees.
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