I-24 NEWS – Anti-Islamic protesters stormed an Australian church Sunday, interrupting the service in what the church has described as a ‘racist’ event, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports. The group of ten protesters with the right-wing “Party for Freedom” group entered the church wearing burkas and traditional Arabic dress, and blasted Islamic prayers while shouting anti-Islamic slogans at the worshipers.
A video of the stunt posted to the group’s Facebook page, shows the leader shouting slogans such as “We want to share Islam with you, this is the future,” and “Islam is here to take over Australia!” as others unfold prayer rugs and begin fake prayers.
“I recognized one of the participants and clearly they weren’t Muslims — it was mock attire,” Father Bower told the ABC.
“I took a minute or so but I worked out who they were. I quietened the congregation down; they were a bit distressed.”
Party for Freedom chair Nick Folkes said his group was not offering an apology for the incident.
“I don’t have to apologize because we didn’t hurt anybody, it was only words and it was a protest sort of thing, it’s very different to going with the intention of physically hurting somebody,” he said.
The group said that they staged the stunt in protest to Father Bower’s and the church’s stance on multi-culturalism and support for leaders in the Muslim community.
Father Bower said that he is often targeted on social media by one group member in particular.
“He calls me Fatherless Rod and disagrees on my stand, he is a keen supporter of Pauline Hanson on social media,” said Father Bowler.
Pauline Hanson heads the right-wing anti-immigration ‘One Nation’ party.
Hanson issued a statement after the incident, distancing herself from the group, said the ABC.
“I think it’s uncalled for for media to blame One Nation or myself for these actions, the same way as Islamic groups warned media of blaming them for [Lindt cafe gunman] Man Monis’ behavior,” she said.
Iranian-born, self-styled cleric Man Haron Monis held 17 people hostage at the Lindt chocolate cafe in the heart of Sydney’s financial district before being killed when police stormed the building in the early hours of December 16, 2014.
“There are concerns by a cross-section of Australians with Islam, border protection, terrorism and the government’s immigration policy,” Hanson continued.
“However, the interruption of religious services … [is] counterproductive in the serious argument One Nation are calling for in our Parliament,” she added.
A Muslim Cleric in Sydney, Imam Afroz Ali, slammed the demonstration as “bigoted and un-Australian,” said the ABC.
“The fact that most Australians are law abiding, decent people — the very fact that these people go and claim to be representing Australian values is quite bigoted and quite un-Australian,” he said.
“A lot more Australians will become more active in making sure this country remains a democratic, multicultural and accepting society. But unfortunately there will be a minority that will express these views.”
I think they’re lefties out to make Pauline Hanson’s One Nation look bad.
They are alarmed that in the double dissolution election on July 2, One Nation, with no seats in either house, won four in the Senate.
No legislation can now pass in the Senate without first being agreed to by One Nation.
That’s why I say I think that the mock Islamic dress intruders into that church are lefties.