Taj El-Din Hilaly

The Islamic scholar Mahmoud Shanqeeti with Taj El-Din Hilaly

Sheikh Taj El-Din Hamid Hilaly (also Tajeddin Hilaly or Al-Hilaly , Arabic تاج الدين الهلالي Taj ad-Din al-Hilali , * approx. 1941) is an Islamic religious leader in Australia . Hilaly is the imam of the mosque in Lakemba near Sydney . The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) appointed him Mufti for Australia in 1988. Hilaly calls himself Grand Mufti of Australia and New Zealand , but other Muslim groups deny this title, which has also been described as an honorary title. In 2001 he announced the registration of the Australian Peace Party .

Controversy

Arrival in Australia and attempted deportation

Hilaly arrived in Australia in 1982 on a tourist visa from Lebanon , but stayed despite the visa expired and attempts to deport him failed. After his speech at the University of Sydney , then Immigration Minister Chris Hurford tried to deport Hilaly for spreading racial hatred and violating "Australian values" . However, Hurford's successor, Gerry Hand , granted Hilaly a permanent right of residence in 1990, which after a campaign by Sydney's Muslim community finally led to the acquisition of Australian citizenship. Hurford, however, remains on the point of view that Hilaly should be deported, because despite the repeated extension of his visas he had unsatisfactorily fulfilled the conditions of intercultural harmony.

1988 speech at the University of Sydney on the Jews

Australian Jewish organizations have regularly accused Hilaly of anti-Semitism , which he denies himself. These accusations began in 1988 when Hilaly was giving a lecture to Muslim students at the University of Sydney on the subject of "The disposition of the Jews in the light of the Koran" . He is quoted as saying:

“The struggle of the Jews with humanity is as old as history itself; the current ongoing struggle with the Islamic nation is a natural continuation of the hostility of the Jews towards the human race as a whole. Judaism controls the world through ... secret movements as destructive doctrines and groups, such as communism , liberalism , freemasonry , Baha'i , the Rotarians , the nationalist and racist doctrines. The Jews try to control the world through sex, through sexual perversions, through instigation of espionage, treason and economic hoarding. "

Hilaly has neither apologized nor withdrawn for his comments in which he accused the Jews of being responsible for all wars.

Smuggling charges in Egypt in 1999

In 1999 Hilaly was convicted of involvement in the smuggling of artifacts indicted and prosecuted with a short prison sentence.

Traffic violation in 2003

He caused controversy in early 2003 when his car was stopped because an object was sticking out. Upon closer inspection by the New South Wales Police , he was fined for driving an unregistered and uninsured car and for his behavior towards police officers. This led to attacks by local Muslims on police officers and widespread public condemnation. Although the penalty was dropped for formal reasons for assaulting and obstructing police officers and resisting arrest, he was charged $ 400 because of the incident.

2004 September 11th Sermon and Comments on Suicide Bombings

In February 2004 Hilaly gave a sermon in a mosque in Sidon , Lebanon, which was translated by the Australian embassy in Beirut . Hilaly said:

“Sons of Islam, there is an infidel war going on everywhere. The honest man is the boy who opposes Israeli tanks with strength and courage. The boy who, despite his mother's objections, goes to war to become a martyr like his older brother. The boy who says to his mother, 'Oh mother, don't cry for me when I die. Oh mother, jihad has seized me and I want to be a martyr '. "

“September 11th is God's work against the oppressors. Some of the things that happen in the world cannot be explained; a civil aircraft, the secrets of which cannot be explained if we ask the pilot who found his target without fail, who directed your steps? Or if we ask the giant who fell, who humiliated you? Or if we ask the President who made you cry? God is the answer. "

In his speech, he also prophesied that the Muslims would control the White House and he supported Hezbollah . The Australian Federal Police have declined to investigate his overseas activities.

Cronulla Race Riots in 2005

Another controversy occurred in December 2005 when, in connection with the Cronulla race riots, the Lakemba Mosque , in which Hilaly is the Imam, was used as a base for the riot. Some participants in the mob, which primarily attacked Anglo-Australians and vandalized their property, were armed with handguns.

Holocaust denial in 2006

In July 2006, he was criticized for making comments calling the Holocaust a "Zionist lie" . He also called Israel a "cancer" . The comments made calls for legal action against him to be heard. Australia is the country after Israel with the highest per capita Holocaust survivor rate in the world.

Comments on rape in 2006

In September 2006, during Ramadan , Hilaly criticized provocative clothing in a sermon. His comments have been interpreted by many prominent Australian politicians, including John Howard and Pru Goward , to imply that Hilaly's sermon implies that in the event of sexual assault, the main problem is the lack of "disguise" or decent clothing on the part of the victim and not the perpetrator of the attack himself All major Australian news sources described the comments as highly controversial.

“If you put meat outside on the street, in the garden or in the park without covering it, the cats will come and eat it. So who is to blame - the cats or the exposed meat? The bare flesh is the problem. If she had stayed in her room, in her home, in her hijab , no problem would have occurred. " .

He also said that “in the case of zina (adultery), responsibility rests with the woman 90 percent of the time. Why? Because she has the weapon of enticement ( igraa ). ” Hilaly later said he actually wanted to express that “ when a woman shows herself, she bears the shame ... but a man should be able to control himself . ” He also cited that his allusions to Bilal Skaf's prison sentence , in which he said women “ bob invitingly , ”“ and then you get a merciless judge who gives you 65 years, ” were a to clarify harsh punishment for rape. Skaf was the leader of a group of Lebanese Australians who committed gang rapes in Sydney in 2000 .

Phong Nguyen, chairman of the Victorian Ethnic Community Council, responded: “Cultural diversity and gender equality in Australia means that it is up to women to dress according to their choice, and not according to what they dress may be judged. ” He also commented that “ the type of dress should never be used to justify rape, which is a criminal offense ” .

Pru Goward , the Australian Equal Opportunities Commissioner, replied in a television interview that the Hilalys sermon is “incitement to a crime. Young Muslims who are now raping women can say so in court, can quote this man ... their leader, in court. It's time we stopped just asking him to apologize. It is time for the Islamic community to do more than just say they are shocked. It is time that it happens. " .

A Hilaly spokesperson told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation , “From my discussions with him, the issue was not whether or not they wear a hijab. The issue is that every community has a specific dress code, a normal dress code that people follow. So, if someone breaks this dress code, if men or women get into a stage where they dress in a way that is provocative, then these people are doing something wrong. He didn't talk about rape. "

After his comments were made public, Hilaly issued a statement on October 26, 2006 in which he said, “I apologize unreservedly to any woman who has been offended by my comments. I only intended to protect women's honor, something that was lost in the presentation of my speech in The Australian . "

TV interview in January 2007

On January 8, 2007, Sheikh Hilaly gave a television interview on the Egyptian television station Cairo Today TV , where he made some statements that were again criticized in Australia:

• “The Anglo-Saxons who arrived in Australia arrived in chains. [The Muslims] paid for the passports from our own pockets. We therefore have a greater right to Australia than they have. "
• "The people from the west are the greatest liars and oppressors and especially the English race."

Hilaly also condemned the extent to which homosexuals are given rights in Australia. "I understand the Western mentality, and the Australian mentality in particular, and I understand that Australian law guarantees freedom until insanity is reached." He also criticized the condemnation of the Sydney gang rape participants as "excessive" as a consequence of the Terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 . Prime Minister John Howard described al-Hilali as "shameful for his [religious] community" One of al-Hilali's confidants, the President of the Islamic Friendship Association, defended the statements on Egyptian television as a slip of the tongue due to the moderator's provocation slipped ” . The director of the Forum on Australia's Islamic Relations , Kuranda Seyit, contradicted al-Hilaly's remarks. "We are all Australians and we should respect and support one another as Australians" . He also recommended that the Lebanese community in Australia consider “sending al-Hilaly into early retirement” .

Web links

• The text of Hilaly's Sidon sermon
• Text of Hilaly's 1988 speech to students at Sydney University
• SBS translation of Hilaly's sermon on rape
• Australia's anti-semitic multicultural Mufti with many masks
• Gerard Henderson commentary on Hilaly
• Piers Akerman commentary on Hilaly and Douglas Wood
• Hilaly Claims to have seen Douglas Wood
• Douglas Wood denies he saw Hilaly while in captivity
• Sydney gang rapes (English Wikipedia)

swell

1. ↑ ^{a b} ABC. The Religion report. "Keysar Trad on an alternative Australian Muslim leadership" ( Memento of the original from November 24, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
2. ↑ ABC Radio. Sunday Profile: "Sheik Al-Hilaly" ( Memento of the original from April 9, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
3. ↑ Walsh and Berry, Kerry-Anne and Sean. “Plea for a little understanding,” Sydney Morning Herald, October 26, 2006
4. ↑ ^{a b} Sydney Morning Herald. "Think murder and then call it poetry" . Retrieved October 27, 2006
5. ↑ ABC Radio. "Former minister outlines reservations over sheik" ( Memento of the original from May 18, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved October 27, 2006 
6. ↑ "1988 speech entitled, 'The Disposition of Jews in the light of the Qumran'" ( Memento of the original from December 1, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved October 27, 2006. 
7. ↑ Jeremy Jones. "Confronting Reality: Anti-Semitism in Australia Today" . Retrieved October 27, 2006
8. ↑ ABC Radio. Religion Report September 28, 2005. Full Transcript ( Memento of the original from May 28, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
9. ↑ Muslims in Australia: A Brief History: After the Second World War ( Memento of December 1, 2002 in the Internet Archive )
10. ↑ ABC Radio: "Sheik Taj el-Din Al Hilaly Facing Summons" , January 7, 2003
11. ↑ ABC Radio: "Imam's arrest adds to tensions" ( Memento of the original from February 22, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , January 7, 2003 
12. ↑ Sydney Morning Herald : "Muslim leader's arrest ordeal put to rest," August 5, 2003
13. ↑ Sydney Morning Herald : "September 11 is God's work: Mufti," February 29, 2004
14. ↑ ABC Radio: "Sheikh Hilaly Sermon at Sidon Mosque 02/13/04" (transcription) ( Memento of the original from September 14, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed October 29, 2006 
15. ↑ Sydney Morning Herald , “Armed gangs on rampage,” December 13, 2005
16. ^ The Age : Fresh violence rocks Sydney , December 13, 2005
17. ^ Australian Jewish News. “Call for legal action over mufti's Holocaust denial” ( Memento of the original dated December 5, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , July 21, 2006 
18. ↑ ^{a b} AAP (2006). “Ethnic leaders condemn Muslim cleric”. Retrieved October 26, 2006.
19. ↑ ^{a b} Kerbaj, Richard. “Muslim leader blames women for sex attacks” ( memento of the original from October 26, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , The Australian , October 26, 2006 
20. ↑ AAP (2006). "Deport rape comment cleric, says Goward" Retrieved October 26, 2006.
21. ^ The Australian (2006). "Mufti was not talking about rape: associate" ( Memento of the original from February 19, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 26, 2006. 
22. ↑ AAP (2006). Sheik apologises for sexist comments. Retrieved October 26, 2006.
23. ^ The Australian : Hilali ridicules nation of convicts , Jan. 12, 2007.
24. ^ The Australian : On air with the foot-in-mouth mufti , January 13, 2007