The worrying trend of intolerance, radicalism among Australian Muslims

Jeffrey Francis, The Star, Asia News Network/Selangor, Malaysia

It's amazing, said Prime Minister John Howard, describing the ruthlessness and extreme violence of some Lebanese youths in Australia, their intolerance of others and their intimidating attitude towards the police.

More importantly, he is doing something about it.

In an environment of uncertainty and increasing terrorist threats, the latest being a tape-recorded message believed to have been read by al-Qaeda operative, Malaysian-born fugitive Noordin Mohammed Top, Howard is aware of the concerns of most Australians of the strong and provocative views of some Muslim youths and their leaders, expressed openly in radio talk-back and in TV interviews.

Of course, such occurrences are not surprising in a democratic multicultural society like Australia where freedom of speech is a citizen's right, but not necessarily a license to stir up trouble.

What worries many people are radical statements like:

"... you must agree that there can only be one true religion and we believe that is Islam. Once that is accepted, everything else becomes secondary. Any loyalty to Australia or anything else must rate down the list if it conflicts with our principal duty.

"The non-believers will not succeed in stopping the tide of Islam sweeping the world. If it takes 10 years, 20 years or longer, Australia will eventually become an Islamic state."

Then there is the declaration of Islamic leader Abdul Nacer Benbrika. In an interview with a local television station recently, he said: "Jihad is part of my religion, and anyone who fights for the sake of Allah, the first drop of blood that comes out of him when he dies, all his sins will be forgiven.

"... my religion doesn't tolerate other religions. The only law which needs to spread here or anywhere else has to be Islam."

Can it really happen in a Western nation with a predominantly Christian population?

The answer must certainly be most unlikely, not even 100 years from now, despite the rapidly growing Muslim community of 500,000 at present.

Abdul Nacer, a 45-year-old firebrand who doesn't mince his words, is an extremist who has publicly declared his support for violent jihad, according to the police. He is also a passionate supporter of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

He is the alleged spiritual leader of the Sydney and Melbourne cells whose members come from a sub-group within Sydney's Lakemba branch of the Ahlus Sunnah Wal-Jamaah Association.

The police believe that the group comprises extremists who eagerly support the use of militant jihad against those who are perceived "as enemies of Islam".

Abdul Nacer has been charged with directing an alleged terrorist organization and being a member of that organization. If convicted, he faces a 25-year jail sentence

Equally amazing are the contents of a police statement presented to Sydney's Central Local Court last week, which allege that Abdul Nacer had instructed members of his Sydney terror cell, which was planning a violent jihad in Australia, to inflict "maximum damage".

He is alleged to have met them in February and July and offered guidance on how to wage a holy war. These members had used coded text messages for early morning meetings to plan their alleged conspiracy to blow up Lucas Heights, Australia's only nuclear reactor.

Abdul Nacer is quoted in the statement as saying to them: "If we want to die for jihad, we have to have maximum damage. Maximum damage. Damage their buildings, everything. Damage their lives to show them. In this we will have to be careful."

The statement named specific members of their role in the alleged conspiracy to launch the first terrorist attack within Australia. Eight men have been arrested in Sydney and charged with conspiring to plan a terrorist act by manufacturing explosives. Ten others were arrested in Melbourne and charged with being members of a terrorist organization.

The police allege that the men had attempted to source materials, primarily sulphuric acid, acetone and peroxide, for the production of peroxide-based bombs.

Three men of the Sydney group were stopped by police near Lucas Heights in December last year. They claimed that they were in the area to ride a trail bike. But they gave police differing accounts of their activities that day.

Police inquiries found that a padlock of a gate to a reservoir in the reactor vicinity had been cut. But there was no evidence that the three men did it and they were released.

Lucas Heights, which produces medical radioisotopes used to detect cancer and other diseases, is a formidable facility located in a 1.6 km buffer zone in southern Sydney. It is not easy to get near to its nuclear reactor to cause any serious damage. And it is constantly under high-level electronic surveillance.

The statement, however, also outlines the connections between the Sydney and Melbourne groups. It says that in February, three men in the Sydney group drove to Melbourne and met Abdul Nacer, who talked about living in an Islamic state and fighting against "them if their law threatens syariah law".

Abdul Nacer is alleged to have made the "maximum damage" statement when one of the men said he wanted to become a suicide bomber.

On March 24, two members of the group were recorded discussing training, running and getting fit in preparation for their mission.

During a discussion with his Sydney group, which was bugged by police, Abdul Nacer was recorded as saying: "Some people claim to love jihad but don't respect their own parents. Misinterpretation of hadith. You need permission from your parents to go to jihad. If your mother says no jihad, then no jihad."

Two days later, one of them asked his mother for permission to undertake jihad. But there is no record to show whether his mother gave him permission.

Among the items seized from a Mulga Creek farmhouse, allegedly used as a jihad training camp, were containers of chemicals, a 24-hour programmable timer, six mobile phones subscribed in false names, a samurai sword and machete, documents relating to jihad, six replica pistols and one Glock pistol and two cassettes titled "Are you ready to die" and "Sheikh Osama's training course".

Abdul Nacer's wife Rakia Abdullah, who speaks Arabic, denies that her husband is a terrorist. She told a newspaper in Sydney that Abdul Nacer is a "good man" who helped change his followers from their party-going lifestyle to become "better people".

The writer is editorial consultant, Australasia-Pacific Media.