Curious Christian

Reflections on culture, nature, and spirituality from a Christian perspective

Al-Qaeda recuiter’s speech to Sydney mosque

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Matt Stone

2010-04-15

It turns out that the recruiter in question was Anwar al-Awlaki, and he had delivered the speech via phone from Yemen. This happened last February, and the group that brought him in was Sydney Muslim Youth. I can’t help but feel conflicted—especially knowing that the senior imam at Lakemba, Sheikh Hilaly, later condemned the influence of clerics who incite radicalism in young people. It left me wondering who else knew about this and what the long-term consequences could be for our community.

Does anyone have contacts at Lakemba mosque? I think we need to dig deeper into how something like this was allowed to happen.

Tags Australian, Muslim

4 responses to “Al-Qaeda recuiter’s speech to Sydney mosque”

Matt Stone

2010-04-16

Noted this in a follow up article: “The only response from the group that organised the sermon, Sydney Muslim Youth, was an email criticising the Herald..”
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/police-did-not-act-on-terrorist-sermon-20100415-shs9.html
Sydney Muslim Youth website is here:
http://www.sydneymuslimyouth.com/
Are they fostering hate?
Interesting article here on tollerance, limits to tolleraance, and non-Muslim minorities in Muslim majority states:
http://www.sydneymuslimyouth.com/articles/tolerence.htm
I wonder what they’d say about Muslim minorities in non-Muslim majority states, which is actually the more pertinant issue here.

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Andrew Park

2010-04-16

When I did my Grad Dip Social Sciences there a youth worker from Lakemba Mosque. It was in 2003. He was a moderate in terms of his views – quite tolerate of other faiths and critical of Al Queda whom he regarded as an abberance of the Islamic faith due to its violence toward the innocent in acts of terrorism, especially 911. I enjoyed many discussions with him sharing theologically as well as about social justice themes to do with care for the homeless, drug addicted etc. Unsure if he still works at Lakemba Mosque. He had a great grasp of social justice issues to do the Palestinian homeland issue, was very fair and reasonable in his approach, didn’t hate Jews at all, and also had a deep respect for Christians who were serious about their own faith. There were also quite a few Christians on that course run by the university of Western Sydney, as well as people of no religious affiliations at all. We all got on well and there was a mutuality of general respect among all participants as well as freedom to share from a faith or non-faith based social welfare perspective on issues.

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Matt Stone

2010-04-19

I’d be interested to hear from a guy like this.

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Andrew Park

2010-04-19

Unsure if he is still employed by Lakemba Mosque, but will go through my old course stuff and find out his name and contact details for you over the next week.

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