The American Spectator

At Large

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Speaking at a citizenship ceremony last Friday to mark Australia Day, Howard outlined some of what he thought were typically Australian values: democracy, the rule of law, sexual and racial equality, and a common language, English.

But his words carry little comfort for people like Keysar Trad, a Lebanese immigrant and the head of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia. "I love these values, but when he talks about them, they are little more than cliches; they tend to be exclusive," he said. "They are encouraging racism through national pride. It's a recipe for a highly polarized society."

br> One of the things this fails to mention is that Keysar Trad, who is by no means accepted as a spokesman by the whole Muslim community, is notorious for defenses of Muslim extremists, including the Mufti Sheik Hilaly, who has claimed women not wearing burkas or who leave the house are "uncovered meat" for cats to steal, suggesting their rape was understandable, and who made jokes about the rapes of Australian girls by Muslim gangs. Mr. Trad said the Mufti's comments comparing women to cats' meat were "not meant in a derogatory way." He added that the Arabic word for meat -- lahm -- could also be translated as "flesh."

In a lecture at Sydney University Hilaly accused Jews of using Freemasonry, Baha'ism, Rotary Clubs and "sex and abominable acts of buggery, espionage, treason and economic hoarding to control the world." He also advised that: "The two cheapest things in Australia are the flesh of a woman and the meat of a pig."

Trad has emerged as the main Muslim spokesman prepared repeatedly to defend Hilaly, another point the International Herald Tribune omitted to mention when quoting him.

Trad's repeated claims that statements by one Muslim "firebrand" after another were "taken out of context" have become a standing joke for many in Australia.

Further, as the International Herald Tribune again did not mention, Trad is alleged to have worked previously as a translator for a pro-bin Laden and pro-Jihadist publication. This advocate of muliculturalism is said to have written of Australia: "The criminal dregs of white society colonised this country ... and the descendents of these criminal dregs tell us they are better than us." He is also alleged to have compared non-Muslim Australians to sewer-water. Trad's latest public activity has been to sign a letter, in company with John Pilger and others, praising Hugo Chavez and urging him to visit Australia.

The International Herald Tribune did not quote any of the countless immigrants who are proud of Australian citizenship and accept and agree with Howard's advocacy of citizenship and shared values. And it has made itself a laughing-stock, to put the matter no higher, by publishing this piece.

topics:
Business, Islam, Law, Pakistan, Immigration