Muslim council pulled out of program to deradicalise young extremists on the advice of a controversial Islamic leader who REFUSES to condemn stabbing attack on two police officers
- Islamic Council of Victoria pulled out of successful deradicalisation program
- It was after review by controversial former president Ghaith Krayem
- He said the program carried significant 'reputational risk' for the ICV
- Mr Krayem in 2014 refused to condemn a teenager who stabbed two policemen
- He also called Australians 'hypocrites and racists' for not flying Syrian flag
- Council said leaving program was not related to Melbourne terrorist attack
The Islamic Council of Victoria pulled out of a successful deradicalisation program after a review by its controversial former president.
Ghaith Krayem said the Community Integrated Support Program carried significant 'reputational risk' because the ICV had little control over it.
The council was involved with the program since 2010 but dropped out after outspoken anti-terror laws critic delivered his report last month, according to the Herald Sun.
The Islamic Council of Victoria pulled out of a deradicalisation program after a review by its controversial former president Ghaith Krayem, who said it carried 'reputational risk'
Vice-president Adel Salman said the council leaving the $6.8 million program did not reflect dissatisfaction with the its aims and outcomes.
'The ICV supports initiatives that seek to tackle extremism and radicalisation of any form,' he said.
He also said the ICV decided not to sign up to the next four years of the program 'well before' Monday's terrorist attack in Melbourne.
ISIS-inspired gunman Yacqub Khayre killed a man, took a woman hostage, and wounded three police officers before he was shot dead.
Mr Krayem was ICV president in 2014 and 2015 and while secretary earlier in 2014 refused to condemn a Muslim teenager (L) who stabbed two police officers
Numan Haider, 18, was shot dead in September of that year after the attack on officers from the joint terror task force during a scheduled meeting
He also said him holding the ISIS flag, a bad attitude and discontent with the way the government was running Australia did not necessarily make him a terrorist
Mr Krayem was ICV president in 2014 and 2015 and while secretary earlier in 2014 refused to condemn a Muslim teenager who stabbed two police officers.
Numan Haider, 18, was shot dead in September of that year after the attack on officers from the joint terror task force during a scheduled meeting.
Mr Krayem described the underlying factors behind his actions as social rather than religious and criticised police for taking an' enforcement' approach to the threat of terrorists at home.
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'I'm not going to condemn what he did because I don't know what he did and I think it's wrong for anybody to be condemning this young man until the full investigation takes place and we actually understand what occurred,' he said.
'It is incumbent on us as a society not to forgo our own principals and values that make us who we are and one of those is the presumption of innocence, even for a deceased person.'
ICV Vice-president Adel Salman also said the ICV decided not to sign up to the next four years of the program 'well before' the terrorist attack by Yacqub Khayre (pictured) in Melbourne
The ISIS-inspired gunman Yacqub Khayre killed receptionist Kai Hao (R), took a woman hostage, and wounded three police officers before he was shot dead
He also said him holding the ISIS flag, a bad attitude and discontent with the way the government was running Australia did not necessarily make him a terrorist.
Since leaving the ICV he said Australia was full of 'hypocrites and racists' who won’t fly the Syrian flag on public buildings because Middle Easterners were seen as barbarians.
In November 2015 Mr Krayem said forcing Muslims to sing the national anthem was 'un-Australian', though said it was not against Islamic teachings.
'No one, regardless of religion or ethnic background, should be forced to sing the national anthem. That's not what Australia is,' he said.
'We uphold national anthem and we give it the respect it deserves... [but] we are not America, we don't have this patriotism-on-steroids that Americans do.'
The scene at Brighton in Melbourne where Monday's terrorist attack took place
Officers take a body out of the serviced apartments where the siege took place
Ten years earlier Mr Krayem was banned from practicing law after being found guilty of professional misconduct on 15 separate grounds.
They included providing a false certificate of title, making a false statement to a client, not acting on client’s instructions, delaying payments of debt to clients.
He also used thousands in client trust funds to pay personal debt and failing to honour a $4,000 compensation undertaking to the Supreme Court.
The ICV dropping out of the program comes after it said Muslim youth should be provided with taxpayer-funded 'safe spaces' where they can make 'inflammatory' and 'frank' comments.
The ICV dropping out of the program comes after it said Muslim youth should be provided with taxpayer-funded 'safe spaces' where they can make 'inflammatory' and 'frank' comments
In a submission to a parliamentary inquiry into freedom of religion, Islamic leaders demanded government funding be used to create the religious sanctuaries.
'To create safe spaces urgently needed by Muslim youth to meet and talk about a range of issues in emotional terms, where they can be frank and even use words, which in a public space would sound inflammatory,' the submission reads.
'That they cannot express irony, humour, anger or joy in words and facial expressions that would make them a target for 'surveillance' is a cause for despondency leading to mental health issues among many.'
The Council also points out the inability for Muslim adherents to safely practice their religion without feeling subject to surveillance is a 'human rights issue'.
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