1. evolvingthoughts
  2. Once more on Hilali

Once more on Hilali

By evolvingthoughts on April 10, 2007.

This is Australian parochial politics - pass by if you have no interest.

The PM, the minister for Immigration, and the minister for Foreign Affairs, the leader of the Opposition and various other pollies have called for the mufti of Australia, Sheik al Hilali, to leave Australia.

Look, the man's a weed, a slug and a racist, and probably supports the use of terrorist violence. But exiling people from their home nation - and he is now an Australian resident if not a citizen - is not the Australian way. It is not democratic, and it is not the act of the leaders of a free country. Start by exiling those who say things that you don't like, and it's a very short stretch to exiling those who you just don't like.

Hilali has family here. They do not deserve punishment because Hilali has stupid ideas, and until and unless he is convicted of some crime, he should be left alone for his community to deal with as they see fit. And if he is convicted of a crime, no more than the legal punishment should be applied.

What is this - the new McCarthyism? There is a witchhunt going on - am I the only one that can see it?

Tags
Politics
Race and politics

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But presumably they have no power to deport him until he does commit a crime, in which case they are only guilty of exhaling hot air. If he's a misogynistic racist, why can't they suggest that Australia would be better off without him? You can disagree with that opinion, but, after all, it's a free country. Politicians have as much right to express silly ideas as imams do.

By Jonathan Vause (not verified) on 10 Apr 2007 #permalink

Given the incredible destruction of David Hick's rights under law, it is not a large leap to think that a law or regulation could be passed by the politicians against someone they don't much like. If we are allowing retrospective legislation to stand, the next step on the list of fundamental principles that should not be crossed is targeted legislation.