David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

Whilst in the United Arab Emirates, I visited the Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. This magnificent landmark represents the true meaning of Islam, that of piece, and it is evident that its open-door policy to people of all religions was there for all to see. As the Vice-President and the Prime Minister of the UAE and the ruler of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid, has said today, ISIS can certainly be defeated militarily by the international coalition and the UAE are actively supporting that coalition. He said:

What we are fighting is not just a terrorist organization, but the embodiment of a malicious ideology that must be defeated intellectually.

He continued:

The world must unite behind a holistic drive to discredit the ideology that gives extremists their power, and to restore hope and dignity to those whom they would recruit.

Muslim leaders from Prime Minister Najib of Malaysia and President Yudhoyono of Indonesia to the Grand Mufti of Australia have declared that the ISIL movement is against God, against Islam and against our common interests. (Time expired)