Aussie Thoughtcrime Victims
Charles Johnson
Tue Jun 21, 2005 at 8:43 pm PDT • Views: 528
Heads up, Britain: Australian leftists managed to get a “Racial and Religious Tolerance” thoughtcrime law passed, and (surprise!) it’s being used by Muslim advocacy groups against critics of Islam: Pastors ordered to apologise for Muslim comments. (Hat tip: unclebubba.)
A Victorian Tribunal has ordered a Christian group to publicly apologise for vilifying Muslims at a religious conference and on the Internet.
The orders are believed the first of their kind under Victoria’s Racial and Religious Tolerance Act.
The Islamic Council mounted legal action over comments made during a Catch The Fire Ministries Conference in 2002 and on an Internet website.
Both comments included claims that the Koran promotes violence and terrorism.
Last December the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal found the comments constituted a serious contempt for and revulsion of Muslims.
In a packed courtroom today the tribunal said an apology was appropriate and ordered the group and its pastors to publish a statement in the press acknowledging the breach of the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act.
The two pastors involved have also been asked to give an undertaking never to repeat the comments again.
Outside the tribunal, Pastor Daniel Nalliah said he will not comply.
“Right from the beginning we have stated we will not apologise - we will go to prison for standing for the truth,” he said.
Frank says: