Muslim leaders have condemned Scott Morrison for being “deeply ill-informed” after he called for the regulation of Islamic teachings and said religious figures must “take responsibility” for what happens in their faiths.The former prime minister said that “it is time” for Islamic institutions to adopt national self-regulated standards, an accreditation framework and a national register during a speech at an antisemitism conference in Israel overnight.
Addressing his comments this morning, he told Sydney radio station 2GB his proposal was not anything new, as Anglican ministers also have to undergo training and accreditation.
Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. (AP)
“What I’m proposing is that religious leaders in all faiths have got to take responsibility for what’s happening in those faiths,” he said.
“Now their teaching has to be right, it has to be positive, and it has to be in English, so people can see what’s being said.”
Morrison added that immigration was also part of the problem, but acknowledged that the radicalisation of the Bondi terrorists happened in Australia.
“We have to enlist our Imams and all of those who are religious leaders in the Islamic faith to take charge of that and deal with the very difficult issues that are clearly there,” he said.
Australian National Imams Council President Imam Shadi Alsuleiman said the comments were “reckless, irresponsible, and deeply ill-informed”, adding that the country had a “shared responsibility” to protect public safety and social cohesion.
“It is profoundly disappointing to hear such divisive language from a former prime minister who understands, better than most, the importance of unity, social cohesion, and responsible leadership,” he said.
Australian National Imams Council President Imam Shadi Alsuleiman. (Steven Siewert)
“To suggest that an entire faith community should be held accountable for the actions of two criminal offenders, both of whom law enforcement agencies have confirmed acted alone, is unacceptable and categorically rejected.”
Alsuleiman said Australian Muslims were living the “real-world consequences” of this type of political rhetoric.
“Islamophobia does not require spectacular acts of violence to be harmful,” he said.
“Ill-informed or inflammatory language has contributed to a documented rise in Islamophobic incidents, including online abuse, verbal and physical attacks on Muslim women, assaults on Imams and community leaders, arson attacks on homes, and threats and vandalism directed at mosques.”
Labor minister Pat Conroy told the ABC it was unfair to hold the entire Muslim community responsible for people who believed “an extreme perversion of Islam”.
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