Giving politics a Sheik
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March 12, 2007 12:00
Article from: Daily Telegraph
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TOP Islamic cleric Taj el-Dene Elhilaly is "urgently" working towards forming a new political party.
Speaking through an interpreter, the Sheik said that Australian Muslims need proper political representation as their community was being used as a "political football".
The Sheik, who has already established a political committee of Muslim community elders, said forming a party was the next step. He has set a timeframe of 12 months.
A so-called "manifesto", obtained by dailytelegraph.com.au, reveals the Mufti's plans for "The Australian Peace Party" - "An Australian party with Australian goals".
"It is a party that relies on a new ideology and new blood in order to reaffirm the Australian ethos in our democratic multicultural society," the manifesto says.
Under the heading "Ethos", the manifesto says:
"The Australian Peace Party will promote all actions that achieve peace, security and harmony amongst the different people throughout the world.
"The Australian Peace Party believes in benefiting from our own resources and potential and in uniting the scattered masses in order to form one strong united body that will work to achieve our shared aims and objectives."
Beneath the banner "Benefit", it says:
"Will add a strong fort around Australia as a nation with many political parties and will work with these parties faithfully for the progress and betterment of Australia.
"Yes: The Australian Peace Party
With you, from and for you.
"Watch for the launch, a new political movement, a proud initiative for every noble and sincere Australian citizen."
Tell us what you think of the manifesto using the Feedback form at the bottom of this story.
In an interview aired last night on ABC radio, the Mufti was asked: "With the federal election looming at the end of the year, and given your relations with the Prime Minister, John Howard, which I guess you could say weren't particularly good, do you think that it would be an option for you, as a Muslim leader, to consider the formation of a political party?"
The Sheik replied: "There's a new committee with people who have some experience in politics and most certainly in the future there must be something along these lines."
The interviewer then asked how the party would be funded.
"Out of the community," the Sheik said. "There will be a lot of people, a lot of Australians, Muslim and non-Muslim, who will support the principles and the goals, the objectives of this party who will be happy to fund it."
Asked how long it would be before the party was formed, the Sheik said: "I think one year. One year."
The Mufti's friend and spokesman, Keysar Trad, told AAP that with the recent establishment of a political committee of Muslim elders, the Sheik had high hopes his vision could now become reality, Mr Trad said.
"(The Sheik) is hoping the committee gives it high priority and starts working on it as a matter of urgency," he said.
Mr Trad said the Sheik hoped to launch the party with several thousand members rather than the bare legal minimum.
The Mufti's proposal was for a party to represent Muslim interests without excluding people of other religions, Mr Trad said.
"It's not going to be a party of Muslims only and it's not going to be called the Muslim Party," he said.
"The whole idea is to promote fairness across the board and specific values, such as honesty and dignity and equality.
"I think it's a good idea to establish a party that can act as an alternative for people who are no longer satisfied with the major parties."
The party would fight to put a stop to politicians using the Muslim community as a "political football" and work on promoting greater social harmony, Mr Trad said.
It would also try to tackle long-standing legal issues affecting Australian Muslims, such as divorces and marriages not being recognised in other countries.
"We've discussed this with the government on a number of instances but we've never actually found them to be able to come up with a solution," he said.
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21365319-5001021,00.html
Not necessarily a bad thing, just democracy working.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/untold_stories/asian/gujurati_community.shtml
