Oct 18 2001 – One of Prime Minister John Howard’s first moves after approving the deployment of Australian troops to Afghanistan yesterday was to visit opponents of that decision.
“This war is not a merciful war, it’s a merciless war that will have such a devastating result,” said Sheik Fehmi El-Imam of the Preston mosque where Mr Howard spent an hour.
“We feel this is not the right thing to take place, this war.”
But the two men spent little time discussing the politics of the deployment – hugging each other at one point, they were in adamant agreement that Australian Muslims should not suffer on account of overseas radicals who claim to represent their faith.
“One of the reasons for my coming here is to extend the hand of friendship and Australian mateship to you and to all the members of your community, to tell you that you are a treasured part of our society, that I do not want any Australian to think ill of people of Islamic faith or of Arab background because of what happened in the United States,” Mr Howard told Sheik Fehmi.
“There were many people of Islamic faith who died in the World Trade Centre. They suffered as much at the hands of the terrorists, therefore those terrorists are your enemies as much as they are the enemies of Christians and Jews.”
The visit – Mr Howard’s first to a mosque since the September 11 attacks – was organised hastily on Tuesday, before the telephone call from US President George W. Bush asking for the Australian troops Mr Howard had promised.
Mr Howard and his wife Janette were showered with attention.
“We are really feeling that we are Australian, and we’re contributing to this beautiful country,” community member Samir Mourad told Mr Howard, after briefly criticising his Middle East policy.
Sheik Fehmi had his own stories to tell of Muslims being harassed in Australia, and pleaded with the media surrounding the Prime Minister to spread his message.
“Please, we appeal to you, just say to the public, all the time, `the general public should not assault the Muslim ladies’,” he said, referring to incidents where Muslim women have had head coverings torn off.
“They should not attack them in the street and humiliate them. We haven’t done anything wrong, we’re part of society.”
Sheik Fehmi said he had lived in Australia for 50 years. “I am more Australian than many of the young people who are around me today. I’m entitled to a lot of respect and every Muslim is entitled to respect.”
Before leaving, Mr Howard said the Muslim community would be in his thoughts. “You are good people and you are making a wonderful contribution to our community,” he said.
He then left for Townsville, which will be the departure point for many of the military personnel leaving to join the war.