PM condemns Muslim leader

19:05 AEDT Thu 19 Feb 2004

Prime Minister John Howard has condemned the leader of Australia's Muslims for incredible insensitivity over a meeting with Hizbollah leaders in Lebanon.

Mr Howard also condemned disputed remarks attributed to Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali, the Mufti of Australia, in sermons and interviews in Lebanon last week calling for a jihad against Israel.

Sheik Alhilali denied calling for an armed uprising against any state, his Sydney spokesman Keysar Trad said.

But Sheik Alhilali, Imam of Sydney's Lakemba Mosque, had met with Hizbollah's political leader Sheikh Nassan Nasrallah.

Mr Howard singled out for criticism the Jihad call and the Hizbollah meeting as reported by the Middle East Media and Research Institute.

While Hizbollah had not been banned in Australia, its military wing had been outlawed.

"Given that it has been banned in Australia and given the person in question, Sheikh Alhilali, is an Australian citizen and the leader of a community of some 300,000 Australian citizens, he has therefore behaved with incredible insensitivity towards the feelings of many Australians," Mr Howard told parliament

Mr Trad, a direct of the Lebanese Muslim Association, accused Mr Howard of unquestioningly towing the Israeli line.

"His criticisms show a lack of understanding of the situation," Mr Trad said.

"We (Australia) should be agents of peace and this is the time we should be praising Hizbollah for negotiating with Israel."

Opposition Leader Mark Latham joined Mr Howard in condemning any call for a Jihad against Israel.

Mr Howard said Sheik Alhilali deserved to be condemned if the comments proved accurate.

"If these remarks are correct, or in substance correct, then I think what he has said deserves to be condemned in the strongest possible terms," Mr Howard told parliament.

"Incitement to a Jihad against the state of Israel is utterly unacceptable coming from the leader of any community in this country.

"If those remarks have been made I condemn them on behalf of the government, and I would hope on behalf of the Australian people in the strongest possible terms."

The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) expressed dismay at the reported calls for jihad and support for suicide bombing.

Sheik Alhilali was a moderate Islamic leader who did not hold such radical views, AFIC president Ameer Ali said.

Mr Trad blamed malicious and inflammatory misreporting by an media organisation he described as an Israeli mouthpiece.

"He has categorically denies calling to arms against any country," Mr Trad said.

"He doesn't support suicide bombers in general; he's only referring to operations that target military personnel who are pulling the trigger.

"If some of these people take the extreme measure of blowing themselves up as part of the resistance because they don't have any other means of resisting the occupation, then we cannot condemn them and in some cases these people are performing an act of bravery in defence of their country."

NSW Premier Bob Carr said he wanted to be briefed on what Sheikh Alhilali said before he would comment.

"It's hard to believe that anyone from this peaceful happy land of ours, overseas or here, would endorse terrorism and terrorist organisations," he said.