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| Down Under |
| Security alert blocks mosque funds |
| 2007-01-08 |
| NATIONAL security concerns relating to an Adelaide mosque have prompted the Federal Government to block $200,000 in Saudi Arabian funding. Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer yesterday revealed the Government had "expressed a view" to the Saudi Government about the mosque's application for money to help fund a new building. The unspecified "security concerns" are understood to relate to at least one person associated with the Islamic Centre SA, based at 658 Marion Rd, Park Holme. The Advertiser yesterday confirmed the mosque's leadership was told early last year the transfer of funds from Saudi Arabia had been stopped after a request from the Australian Government. Details of the proposed funding emerged as authorities confirmed a former mosque member, Warya Kanie, 39, had been held in Iraq since October on charges of allegedly conspiring to commit acts of terrorism against U.S.-led forces. Mr Downer said he was "sure there is no link" between the Park Holme mosque's funding application to the Saudi Arabian Government and Kanie's arrest by Coalition forces in Baghdad last October. He said federal authorities closely scrutinised broader concerns about whether Islamic extremists from Saudi Arabia had sought to fund Australian mosques or Islamic institutions. "In relation to one (Adelaide) mosque, there was an application for funding from the Saudi Arabian Government, not from extremist organisations, and the Australian Government expressed a view about that," he said. Mr Downer said the decision to halt funding would have been made by the Saudis, taking into account Australia's security advice. He said there was a clear distinction between appropriate Saudi Government funding and money from extremist groups based within the Middle Eastern country. The Federal Government wanted to ensure mosques and other Islamic institutions in Australia had "no linkages with extremist organisations". The Advertiser understands the Park Holme mosque has been closely watched by the Australian Federal Police and Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation for several years. Moderate Adelaide Muslims have repeatedly expressed concerns about some activities at the mosque, particularly sermons by its spiritual leader, Sheik Charif Hassine, opposing the US-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. An Adelaide Islamic leader who attends the mosque yesterday said it was not involved in extremist activity but "only exercising its democratic right to oppose American oppression in Iraq". Islamic Society of SA secretary Ali Vachor said there had been no explanation from the Federal Government about why it stopped the transfer of money from Saudi Arabia. Mr Vachor declined to identify the sources of the Saudi money, saying they were among many donors to the fundraising appeal to build a newmosque at the Park Holme site. "They give to charity to please Almighty Allah," he said. "Some people have given large amounts of money. They don't want to be known. They are keeping it between them and Allah." Mr Vachor said the Islamic Society had written several letters to Mr Downer seeking an explanation for why the funding was stopped early last year. "We have tried to ask him why he stopped the money from entering the country but he has shut the door on us," he said. Mr Vachor said members of the Park Holme mosque were entitled to democratically express their opposition to "American oppression". "The Americans are the ones who have invaded, they are the ones who have killed innocent people, they are the ones who have destroyed mosques," he said. Mr Vachor said AFP and ASIO agents had raised no concerns during regular meetings held as part of a national liaison project with Australian Muslim leaders introduced after the US terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #1 "The Americans ... are the ones who have destroyed mosques" Naw, you haven't seen nothing yet. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2007-01-08 23:20 |