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| Down Under |
| 'To hell with the sheik' - Liberal MP |
| 2006-10-29 |
| SHEIK Taj al-Din al-Hilaly should be stripped of his permanent residency and kicked out of the country, a prominent Liberal backbencher said today. Queensland Liberal MP Warren Entsch said he understood the cleric was only a permanent resident, not a citizen, and his invitation to remain in Australia should be rescinded. The mufti of Australia is under pressure to step down after suggesting in a sermon that immodestly dressed women invited sexual assault. "My first reaction is to hell with him," Mr Entsch said in Canberra. "Having citizenship is an absolute privilege, so is residency, and if he wants to abuse that privilege than he should suffer the consequences. "I'm not too sure what the legal ramifications are, whether the Government has the capacity to do that once it's granted, but I think it's something that should be considered. "He shouldn't be here." But Mr Entsch said he had taken heart that the mainstream Muslim community had quickly stood up against the sheik. He said high-profile leaders were speaking against the cleric and making strong moves to have him step down. "From what I've heard within the Muslim community they are certainly lining him up to do a lot more than an apology," he said. "And it's good to see the moderates and more mainstream Muslims in the community actually taking this character on and telling him it's totally unacceptable in this country to be making the statements he is." Liberal MP Cameron Thompson said the cleric should listen to the groundswell of people in the Islamic community asking him to step down. "From where I sit he's long outlived his usefulness as an effective leader of that religion," Mr Thompson said. Labor's deputy leader Jenny Macklin said the Muslim community should show leadership and make it clear the sheik's views were not acceptable. "I think this man needs to be condemned for his lack of moral leadership," she said. "He certainly should go, from my point of view." Ms Macklin said Attorney-General Philip Ruddock should actively investigate whether Sheik Hilaly had broken any laws with his comments. |
| Posted by:Glinegum Glerelet8307 |
| #5 Here's hoping. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-10-29 23:59 |
| #4 "My first reaction is to hell with him," *fingers crossed* |
| Posted by: Oztralian 2006-10-29 23:30 |
| #3 Bahahahah >> Ambulance rushes to ill Sheikh's office |
| Posted by: Oztralian 2006-10-29 23:28 |
| #2 I'd like to see more of this attitude coming from Western political leaders. |
| Posted by: Mark Z 2006-10-29 20:40 |
| #1 Labor's deputy leader Jenny Macklin said the Muslim community should show leadership and make it clear the sheik's views were not acceptable. Let's see what happens, shall we? |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2006-10-29 20:11 |