Australian PM ‘regrets’ inviting anti-gay sheikh for Ramadan dinner at government house
Malcolm Turnbull warns against the community being torn apart by acts of terrorism
Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said he condemns the views of, and regrets inviting to his iftar dinner, a sheikh who has delivered homophobic sermons claiming gay people spread disease.
On Thursday, Turnbull warned against the community being divided by acts of terrorism at an iftar dinner to break the Ramadan fast at Kirribilli House in Sydney. It was the first such dinner hosted by a prime minister.
According to reports, the event was attended by Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman, a senior Islamic leader who has condemned homosexuality in sermons published on YouTube. In one, Alsuleiman blames homosexuality for “spreading diseases” and bringing about “evil outcomes to our society”.
Alsuleiman is the president of the Australian National Imams Council.
[Homophobic] views like this are wrong, unacceptable and I condemn them
When asked about Alsuleiman’s views on Thursday, Turnbull said: “Views like this are wrong, unacceptable and I condemn them.”
Speaking on 3AW on Friday, the prime minister said: “If I had been aware that he made those remarks ... he would not have been invited.” Turnbull said he would “strongly counsel the sheikh to reflect on what he has said and recant what he has said”.
Asked if Islam was a homophobic religion, he replied: “I don’t think you can generalise.
“One quarter of the world’s population would describe themselves as Muslims. There are many Muslims ... [and] there are different views on different issues, as there are in all religions,” he said.
“But I am not a bishop, I am the prime minister. All I have to say is this: that in Australia we are governed by Australian law, passed by Australian parliaments and judged by Australian courts.”
Turnbull said extremists and Islamist terrorists sought to tell Muslims they were not part of the Australian community.
“Mutual respect is absolutely critical, those who do not respect the golden rule – which is to do unto others as you would have them do unto you – undermine the stability, the security and the good fortune of our nation.”
Asked about how he would have handled the “stuff-up” if he were prime minister, Bill Shorten said: “I have no plans to meet the particular sheikh you are referring to. “And, being aware of his views now, I will tell him that they are out of line with mainstream Australian thinking.”
Shorten would not endorse comments made by the Labour MP Michael Danby, who had linked the issue to the Orlando massacre , by saying hateful views “directly lead to Orlando-style horror”.
“I do think that homophobia has to be called out wherever we see it. In my opinion, there is no religious justification for homophobia,” Shorten said.
“For me, this is not a faith-based issue. Orlando or any other matter, these terrible acts, you have got evil people in the name of any religion and history shows us this, who will do bad things.”
At a doorstop on Friday, the coalition’s election campaign spokesman, Mathias Cormann, said it was disappointing the iftar dinner had been overshadowed by the homophobic views of Alsuleiman.
“Yes it is disappointing, the initiative taken by the prime minister was an important initiative of inclusiveness. It was obviously designed to send an important message that Australia is an inclusive, harmonious, multicultural society,” he said.
“The prime minister was not aware of the expressed views of one of the attendees invited because of the position he holds in the Islamic community. Once he did become aware of the views, he condemned them very strongly.”
The Labour frontbencher Anthony Albanese said on Friday the invitation of Alsuleiman was a stuff-up that should not be blamed on Turnbull.“I do think it is a good thing that the prime minister had an iftar dinner and I do not believe you can hold the prime minister permanently responsible for everyone who is invited,” he said.
At the dinner on Thursday, Turnbull said: “Acts of terror like Sunday’s massacre in Orlando are perpetrated to divide us along lines of race, religion, sect and sexuality – but that kind of hatred and division must not prevail.”
