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The Islamic Society of Victoria, Australia is threatening to take action against ASIO for what it says is constant harassment and bullying. Members of the Preston Mosque in Melbourne’s north claim that ASIO agents are approaching worshippers on a daily basis, offering them jobs and demanding personal information. In 2008 seven people connected with the Preston Mosque were found guilty of belonging to a terrorist organisation. Ring leader Abdul Nacer Benbrika is in jail.
Source: AM | Duration: 2min 43sec
Transcript:
TONY EASTLEY: It can get crowded at the Preston Mosque on Fridays with all the worshippers – and if claims are true, the number of ASIO agents hanging around.
The Islamic Society of Victoria is preparing to take legal action against ASIO for what it says is constant harassment and bullying.
Members of the Preston Mosque in Melbourne’s north claim that ASIO agents are approaching worshippers on a daily basis, offering them jobs and demanding personal information.
Tony Nicholls reports.
TONY NICHOLLS: The Preston Mosque can attract as many as 1,500 people for its Friday service. The secretary of the Islamic Society of Victoria Baha Yehia believes that its sermons are being monitored.
BAHA YEHIA: We will go to Canberra if we have to. We will go to Canberra and we will complain directly to the Prime Minister.
TONY NICHOLLS: Some members of the mosque claim that intelligence operatives are attending prayer sessions almost as much as they are. The Islamic group has sought the legal services of criminal defence lawyer Robert Stary. Mr Stary defended Jack Thomas, the first Australian to be convicted under anti-terrorism laws.
ROBERT STARY: They’re at the pointy end. They’ve seen the many prosecutions, some of which have failed, some of which have been successful and they feel vulnerable.
Those that support the Palestinian struggle or are opposed to the war in Iraq or Afghanistan, they all feel vulnerable.
TONY NICHOLLS: In 2008 seven people connected with the Preston Mosque were found guilty of belonging to a terrorist organisation. Ringleader Abdul Nacer Benbrika is in jail.
BAHA YEHIA: None of these people used to practise or preach at the mosque. They used to attend the mosque. You know, mosques have a different structure than churches.
TONY NICHOLLS: Mr Yehia says the harassment of Mosque goers is so constant that they’ve just held a public legal seminar on how to deal with intelligence agents.
BAHA YEHIA: People are more aware now and people know now that they can say no to ASIO -we don’t have to speak to you and we don’t want to speak to you.
And they do know that you know, if they do get harassed they can come and report the incident and fill out an incident report with us at the mosque.
And you know, if they don’t back off, we will be going to the Attorney General and to David Irvine as well, the head chief of ASIO.
TONY NICHOLLS: In a rare speech at the Sydney Institute in January David Irvine said that ASIO is not against Islam, it’s against terrorism.
Robert Stary believes that the organisation has too much power.
ROBERT STARY: You’ve got to remember now of course that ASIO has trebled in its size since 9/11. It’s a very large organisation, really unparalleled in its growth and its size and its power in the history of the democracy of Australia.
TONY NICHOLLS: Baha Yehia says that the intelligence agency’s interference is starting to divide the community.
BAHA YEHIA: There’s a bit of mistrust in the community because nobody knows who is working for ASIO, because a lot of people have been approached. And they’ve also been asked to work for ASIO.
TONY NICHOLLS: ASIO says that it’s inappropriate to comment on specific communities.
TONY EASTLEY: Tony Nicholls reporting.