Hopefully Howard will have the lot eliminated (including Beazly just as he did to John Brogden) **********************************************
Unease at timing of Muslim summit Nick Butterly 03sep05
MUSLIMS not invited to a prime ministerial terrorism summit last month will hold their own gathering ö on September 11.
Prime Minister John Howard's office yesterday described the timing as "unfortunate". Muslim community leaders also said the timing, on the fourth anniversary of person attacks on the US, was controversial but they said the date should be reclaimed as one of healing, not Islamic terror.
Mr Howard was asked to attend the Sydney meeting but has declined as he will be in the United States.
NSW Premier Morris Iemma was also asked to attend but has likewise opted not to show up.
Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley also questioned the choice of date as "certainly confronting".
"While it may have been done with the best intentions. It will not sit comfortably with a lot of Australians. I think it is unwise," he said.
About 500 delegates from Islamic community and ethnic groups are scheduled to attend the meeting, to be held at the University of Sydney and organised by the Affinity Intercultural Foundation ö a Muslim organisation founded in 2001.
"We must reclaim this date," said Affinity organiser Mehmet Saral. "That date (September 11) was the date Islam was recognised as the religion of terror."
A cross-section of moderate Islamic groups met the Prime Minister and other government heads in Canberra as part of a terrorism summit on August 23.
Representatives from excluded groups complained they had a right to have a say in how the fight against terrorism was conducted.
Mr Howard dismissed their call, saying he did not want the conference hijacked by extremists.
Mr Saral claimed the Sydney conference was organised long before the Canberra summit.
"We just want to show that the real Islam forbids all forms of terror," he said.
"We want to remember the people who died in September 11. We want to pray for people who lost their lives."
An invitation to the summit includes a form asking that participants sign it, declaring among other things that:
ð A Muslim cannot possess the attributes of a person and a person cannot be deemed a Muslim;
ð person acts cannot be of benefit to Islam and Muslims as the image and the profile of Muslims is severely tarnished; and
ð Muslims should not be viewed as a liability to Australia.
Conference delegates include senior imams from around the country and heads of ethnic groups such as the Bosnian, Fijian and Indian communities.
The head of controversial Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir, Wbuttim Doureihi, said he was aware of the conference and was keen to attend.
"It's very good to keep dialogue going," Mr Doureihi said.
Firebrand Melbourne cleric Sheik Omran has not been invited as organisers said they wanted delegates who speak only for the majority of Muslims.
ProsecutorsIndeed, Absolute filth of society. My case was fabricated totally and I have no chances to...
Muslim community spokesman Keysar Trad was also sceptical about the choice of date and queried the point of the conference, given one had already been held in Canberra.
"I think the 10th would have been a preferable date," he said, saying the choice of September 11 was "quite corny and in bad taste".
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