Aussie Code To Censor Radical Imams :: War on Terror

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December 27, 2005

Aussie Code To Censor Radical Imams

Topics: War on Terror

As governments throughout the Western world seek to curb Islamic extremism, a practical approach is begining to emerge in Australia, and the idea comes from John Howard's Muslim Advisory Council who seem willing to provide what I'd call an element of reform - recognizing that that presently, there is no control over radical imams, that they have no idea what the credentials of the imams are, what their qualifications are, or what it is they are preaching in the name of Islam.

If for real, and if adequate guidelines and controls are actually established, It sounds like they would be establishing some form of governing body that would be the early beginings of what occurs within the heirachy of "mainstream" (Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, etc.) Christian churches.

-- everybody gives sermons," said Dr Ali, president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils. "So we want to have some sort of order in this chaos."

MUSLIM clerics would be subject to a strict new code of behaviour under a plan being devised by Islamic leaders in Australia to rein in the inflammatory language of some extremist imams.

The head of John Howard's Muslim Advisory Council, Ameer Ali, told The Australian yesterday that guidelines to control religious leaders would be thrashed out at a special meeting next month.

"At the moment, we have no control over these imams, we don't know what the credentials of these imams are, what their qualifications are -- everybody gives sermons," said Dr Ali, president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils. "So we want to have some sort of order in this chaos."

Under the proposal, first discussed at a meeting of Muslim leaders in August, a new national board of imams would set guidelines for religious figures and monitor their sermons.

Of course, whether or not the planned code turns out to be effective in curbing the radical preaching in the mosques depends upon the degree that the Muslim Advisory Council is itself moderate - otherwise it's a "fox guarding the hen house" scenario.

If the Muslim council is sincere in curbing radicalism, it will be a strong step forward in establishing needed reforms in the Islamic faith. But we can't get too far ahead of ourselves here; for now, we should be ecstatic that one or more Muslim clerics of note actually recognize that a problem exists.

And if the establishment of a "code of conduct" and guidelines for preaching, works, the Howard government will be accomplishing what European leaders have been unwilling to tackle, curbing radical Islam at the source - the mosques.

Posted by Richard at December 27, 2005 5:32 PM

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