Australia is going to pay $300,000 for a conference to which the Prime Minister’s Muslim advisory board chairman has invited several hardcore Islamists. (Hat tip: aussiemagpie.)

The Muslim chairman says there’s “a good chance” these jihad clerics will learn to stop worrying and love the infidel.

The Prime Minister’s Muslim advisory board chairman, Ameer Ali, says invitations to the Conference of Australian Muslim Religious Leaders next month were sent to extremist clerics including the ultra-radical Sheik Abdul Salam Mohammed Zoud, The Australian newspaper reported today. Sheik Zoud heads the Sydney arm of the fundamentalist Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jammaah association.

Dr Ali said the aim was to help bring the clerics into the mainstream. “Once you marginalise these people, keep them outside the fold, then they will continue with their opposition and with their radical ideas,” Dr Ali told the newspaper.

“Once they come into the fold and realise that the vast majority, mainstream imams are against those views and they are minority views, there’s a good chance of them turning to new views (on) life.”