Michael Johnson (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the parliament today, I want to take the opportunity to place on record very strongly and unequivocally my personal condemnation of the recent acts of violence that appear to have engulfed many parts of the Muslim world—acts of violence and rage directed at the missions of foreign countries. I do this in my capacity as the federal member for Ryan and in my capacity as a citizen of this country. I want to condemn absolutely the sheer rage, threats of violence and the commission of terrorist acts against Western nations, Western interests and businesses in English-speaking countries.

My understanding is that the violence and threats to commit violence have erupted following the publication of cartoons in Danish newspapers that depict the prophet Mohammed in a manner most offensive to Muslims and believers of the Islam faith. Many of my constituents have emailed and called me to express their views, which are consistent with my own. I have also had the opportunity of reading in print in newspapers across this country the views of my fellow Australians. My sense is that the overwhelming majority share the view that I state here this evening.

I want to state at the outset that I personally reject the judgment of the publishers in their decision to put into the community the cartoons as they were depicted and drawn. It served little purpose and had little value. It is of great and deep regret that the cartoons were published. While I do not condone the cartoons published by Danish newspapers, or other European newspapers equally, I say in the strongest language in the House of Representatives of the Australian parliament that there can never be any excuse for the extent and nature of the sheer, raw violence and rage we have seen in the last few days, especially in Lebanon.

To hear of Christian churches being stoned and foreign embassies being attacked and set upon physically is very distressing to me as a citizen of this country who shares and holds certain beliefs and who aspires to certain values in this country. To hear of threats by those protesting in sheer rage that the response of the Muslim community will be acts of violence and terror on a scale similar to the 9-11 tragedy is absolutely unacceptable. Such sentiment cannot be tolerated in this country or in any like-minded civil community and law-abiding society. Indeed, free speech is a cornerstone of this country; it is a cornerstone of our democratic nation.

The right to protest and to free speech are of equally precious value and must be guarded by all of us with every ounce of energy. We must respect the right to speak freely and to publish freely, as we must respect the right to protest peacefully. That is the key point—to protest with absolute conviction but, equally, with absolute peace. Raw and uncontrollable violence by anyone is never a legitimate form of protest. I condemn it here as the member for Ryan; I condemn it as Michael Johnson, a citizen of this country. It places many people in great danger and those who advocate such acts of violence should not be given any leeway.

The undercurrents that seem to be placing the Muslim world against the Judeo-Christian world are very disturbing to me. Whether or not I am correct, I personally sense a clash of views and beliefs brewing in the world at large—almost a clash of civilisation, if I can use that phrase, to give credence to the words of Harvard professor Samuel Huntington. More frequently than I would like, there seems to be a report every day and every week of new, real and physical outbreaks of violence or attacks that pit the Muslim world against the non-Muslim world; faith against faith. This is of deep regret to me and I am sure that all members of this parliament would share that deep regret.

Alternatively, there seems to be reports that hatred, violence and intolerance are the product of the Muslim world alone. That is not the case. Indeed, the overwhelming number of Muslims that I know personally are not of the view that hatred, violence and intolerance are of their faith. I might be misguided, but I suspect that many of my fellow Australians would share the same view. Communities and individuals alike in this country must never permit what we have seen to take root in any enduring manner in this country. (Time expired)