Muslim Lawyer in Bid to Shut Down "Offensive"Australian Website Tehran Times, 18 August 2003 Sydney (AFP) — A Muslim lawyer has launched legal action to try to shut down a website linked to a former associate of Australia's right-wing firebrand Pauline Hanson, claiming it breaches anti-discrimination laws by vilifying Muslims. Melbourne solicitor Hisam Sidaoui is taking New South Wales state MP David Oldfield, one of the last surviving parliamentary representatives of the One Nation Party founded by Hanson, to the Victorian state Civil and Administrative Tribunal, AFP reported. Sidaoui claims the website breaches Victoria's Racial and Religious Tolerance Act and Oldfield has responded by filing to have the case dismissed on the grounds that Sidaoui is being "vexatious and frivolous". The lawyer issued a statement at the weekend saying he decided to act because the website was övertly offensive" and "vilifying in all aspects". The website quotes "one particular Australian" as saying: "The biggest mistake a person can make is to think Muslims are people just like us — they are nothing like us". Page headings include "Islamic terror in Australia", "Muslim Racists calling the Kettle Black"and "Muslim Prayer Breaks thin Edge of the Wedge". Sidaoui said the website claimed there was a higher rate of birth defects in Sydney's inner-western suburbs where there is a large Muslim population. " What's he saying, that Muslims are genetically inferior?" he said. Sidaoui said he was confident the website contravened Victorian state's Racial and Religious Tolerance Act, introduced early last year. He said Oldfield reflected this by adding a disclaimer, warning that people viewed the site in Victoria may be breaking the law, after learning of the legal threat. "I want an apology on that website and some sort of compensation. I want him to give money to a Muslim charity," Sidaoui said. Oldfield, who said he and One Nation were no longer associated with the site "but stood by everything on it", challenged Sidaoui to prove anything on it was false. He said the site was designed to inform Australians about Islam and terrorism. "Mr Sidaoui thinks the Australian givernment, the United States government, the British government and the Israeli government are terrorists," Oldfield claimed. He said the case would be watched with interest by people working with the internet. "I think it's very strange to have a state-based law that is enacted against people who have not acted in that state," he said. "Mr Sidaoui doesn't have to look at the site. If he is so offended by it, why does he keep looking at it? The case will be heard on August 28.