By Andrew L. Urban.
It’s an insult to the intelligence of Muslims, frankly to all of us, to keep claiming that terrorism today is not linked to Muslim migration, as the ASIO director General, Duncan Lewis has, in a Senate hearing (May 26, 2017). As several other public figures have in the past, not least the Prime Minister, the scramble away from this hard fact on the grounds of appeasing the Muslim community is not only transparent and disingenuous, it is rather infantile.
The Muslim community – all its many and varied groups, from the law abiding, peaceful majority to the Koran-quoting agitators and ideological thugs – know full well the reality. That respectable majority, from whose ranks comes some useful insider information that can help ASIO and other security agencies, is going to be stumped by this sort of public statement. It disrespects them and makes a mockery of their assistance, for starters. Does Mr Lewis really think he earns respect and loyalty from the Muslims cooperating with his agency by lying – and lying so brazenly? Or from the general public, whose tolerance for dissembling on this topic has been all used up.
He doesn’t help public confidence in ASIO by adding further dissembling. When asked by Senator Pauline Hanson if he could confirm that the four terrorist attacks and the 12 foiled on Australian soil were “committed by Muslims” he replied: “Certainly of the 12 thwarted attacks, one of those indeed involved a right-wing extremist, so, the answer is ‘no’, they have not always been carried out by Muslims.” Yes, Pauline, stop exaggerating. Only 11 of the 12 were carried out by Muslims.
ASIO is doing a great job and if Mr Duncan wants to maintain good relations with those members of the Muslim community who help protect our security he’d be better advised to say ‘thanks for your help’. It’s a much better message in every respect.