Silence of the Lambs

Crikey, it’s not often these days that a court judgement drops your jaw and leaves you in a state of shock. 

For the first time I can now see why those awful sports people shoot their arms into the air and scream “YES”! I’m not suggesting anything here that justifies the Leyton Hewitt variety of triumphalism, but boy, the report in The Weekend Australian about a judgement by Judge Peter McClellan did wonders for a flagging spirit. 

The first paragraph in Michael Pelly’s article summed it up. “Keysar Trad, the long-time spokesman for Muslim cleric Taj Din al-Hilali was yesterday denounced as ‘racist’, ‘offensive’ and ‘untruthful’ by the Supreme Court judge who rejected his defamation claim against radio station 2GB.” 

Judge McClellan went on to say that he agreed “Mr Trad incites acts of violence, incites racist attitudes, is dangerous and perhaps most significantly is a disgraceful individual.” Wow! 

Unfortunately Australians have been silent as individuals like Keysar Trad have operated in this country with virtual immunity, saying whatever they like to promote their warped sense of middle-eastern values. 

The freedoms that we have extended to them regarding freedom of thought, freedom of speech and freedom to indulge in their religious beliefs have been abused so often, it is difficult to keep track. 

This nation’s creed of “live and let live” has been seen as a weakness by those whose aim is to overthrow the values and ideals of the country that gives them shelter and sustenance and protection. 

The millions of dollars that we throw at the multi-cultural industry has failed to bring people like Keysar Trad to book. The multi-cultural circus seems to revel in the criticism and abuse that the likes Keysar Trad level against those established Australians who consider this to be their homeland. 

Where has been the defence of this nation by the multicultural industry. When have you ever heard them say “thank you”. Instead we are expected to silently put up with the grudges, the ancient animosities and the alien thoughts that are part and parcel of lands, far from our shores. 

Then we have that extraordinary body of fluff and bubble, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. Where have they been down the years? When it comes to attacks upon the Australian people the HREOC is voiceless, hopeless and gutless. 

Some years ago I wrote an article about the HREOC commissioner Graeme Innes and the way he demands rights for his guide-dog. Innes, who is blind, held up an interstate flight for 20 minutes while he argued the rights of his dog “not to be secured to his seat arm rest”. Aircrew explained the danger of an untethered dog, in an aircraft with hundreds of passengers, if their was an emergency. Undeterred Innes argued his ‘”Human Rights” — defying instructions from the pilot.  

In 2006 Graeme Innes was at it again when two Perth taxi drivers refused to take his guide-dog in their taxi. Innes reported the two drivers and they faced fines for discrimination. How the blind Innes managed to get their names and taxi plate numbers, to report them, is unclear. Ironically, both taxi-drivers were Muslim and claimed that dogs in cars offended their religious beliefs. 

I mention the Graeme Innes affair because it appears that the institutions, like the HREOC are the bodies that we would expect to pull people like Keysar Trad into line. Not on your Nelly.  

Judge Peter McClellan ruled that the founder of the Islamic Friendship Association held views that were “entirely repugnant” to most Australians.

They included: Defending the stoning to death of Nigerian women for adultery; condoning suicide bombers and using children as martyrs; calling homosexuality a depraved carnal pursuit that should be criminalized; calling Australians of Anglo-Irish descent “unworthy descendants of criminal dregs” and endorsing Sheik Halali’s description of rape victims as “uncovered meat”.  

Where the HREOC and all the other bodies that we presume are out there guarding this nation against people such as Keysar Trad is anyone’s guess. It truly is The Silence of the Lambs. 

Our gratitude to Judge Peter McClellan.