The Islamic Council of Queensland has condemned a contemptuous video tour of Brisbane mosques by a far-right group as the latest incident in a “concentrated campaign” of harassment that was “terrorising” Muslims.
Council spokesman Ali Kadri said the video, posted online by the Australian Defence League on Monday, had fanned fears among congregations already uneasy about hate mail and the presence of unknown people in mosque carparks for hours at night.
One mosque featured in the shambolic and error-riddled video recently lodged a complaint with Queensland police after the presence of one such car caused a “huge scare” during Ramadan, Kadri said.
Inspired by far-right English street protest group the English Defence League, the ADL last year was accused of sending a letter that included a death threat to Australia’s leading Islamic cleric and a threat to bomb Sydney’s Lakemba mosque. The group has been active in the Reclaim Australia movement.
In the video, an ADL member calling himself Chris labels the Holland Park mosque an eyesore, saying it is pretty sad it is located next to “a memorial park where soldiers have been laid to rest”.
In fact the 108-year-old mosque originally owned the plot that is now Mount Thompson memorial park, and sold it to a Brisbane crematorium.
The Guardian