News Archive May/June 2002

13 June 2002
Will Australia Ratify the International Criminal Court?

The federal government is about to decide whether to ratify the treaty for the International Criminal Court. The Prime Minister has been briefed by security officials in the USA about the implications of this court - he noted today that the arguments are 'compelling'. This Court could affect Australia's sovereignty. For more information and papers, click here .

Please contact your federal MPs today (one House of representatives, 12 Senators). Click here for details.

Also, click here to send an email to the Prime Minister encouraging him not to support the ratification of the International Criminal Court.

Ten complaints appear to have already been lodged with Victoria's Equal Opportunity Commission under the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 AD which came into effect on 1 January 2002 AD.
The first one that we know of to be made public is a complaint by the Islamic Council of Victoria and three people against Catch the Fire Ministries, its leader Pastor Danny Nalliah and and another Christian pastor who is an expert on Islamic studies. The complaint cites comments made at a seminar called 'Insight into Islam' held by Catch the Fire Ministries, a newsletter published by them and an article on their website.

We attended the seminar, which was designed to help increase awareness and understanding of Islam following the events of September 11 and other events of Christian persecution around the world.

The speaker spoke from the Qur'an, the Hadith and other Islamic texts. He made it clear that, as with many Christians, many people who call themselves Muslims do not follow all the tenets and commands of the Qur'an or Islam. The seminar included sessions on understanding jihad, a comparison of the Qur'an and the Bible and a discussion of how to reach out to Muslim people in love and build relationships.

The statements made in the complaint, and reported in the media, were taken out of context and did not acknowledge that the actual statements were direct quotes from the Qur'an and other Islamic texts. In other words, the statements cited in the complaint were not the actual words of the speaker.

At no time was this seminar intended to incite hatred or contempt for Muslim people. Rather, it was to help Christians understand Muslim people and encourage them to show love towards them.

Regarding the process:
Complaints are made in writing to the EOC. A written response is then required from the defendants to justify their statements. This response is given to the complainants. If they are not satisfied with the response, a mediation session is organised by the EOC. If mediation cannot achieve a satisfactory result, then the complainants can take the complaint to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).

Media Reports:
A number of media reports painted a very poor picture of the actual interviews that took place in relation to the complaint. It was clearly stated at each interview that the words of the complaint were not the words spoken at the meeting; that the intent of the meeting was to give a greater understanding of Islam and that the teaching was given from the Qur'an and other Islamic texts.

Articles from the media are as follows:
* Tuesday 28 May - Herald Sun
* Wednesday 29 May - Herald Sun
* Wednesday 29 May - The Age
* Thursday 30 May - Herald Sun - Andrew Bolt article "Holy War of Words"
This is not available on free access but is available on the Newstext Archive search for a fee. See the Herald Sun site.

Wednesday 15 May - Baise Moi banned

The Office of Film and Literature Classification Review Board announced last Friday that they have banned the film Baise Moi with its actual sex and depictions of violence. This is great news - it follows a request for a review by the Attorney General Daryl Williams after complaints from members of the public.

Police stepped in to stop screenings in NSW. The Lumiere Cinema maintained that they 'hadn't been told' and continued screening over the weekend. They stopped screening on Monday.

Friday 3 May - Vilification legislation proposed

Senator Brian Greig from Western Australia has said that he will introduce a private member's bill that would outlaw 'vilification' against homosexuals. He plans to do introduce this bill in the May 14-16 session of the Senate. He is being supported by Senator Bob Brown of Tasmania. Both these men are open homosexuals.

What would this bill do? The effect of such legislation would be to stop people expressing opposition to the promotion of the homosexual lifestyle. Although the legislation would talk of 'inciting hatred', such legislation is open to interpretation by Equal Opportunity Commissions and the courts.

ACTION:
Write to the Prime Minister, your federal Member and your 12 State Senators (2 in ACT and NT), asking them to vote against such legislation. Click here for details of your MPs.