A TASMANIAN Islamic leader has urged Jacqui Lambie to ‘‘do her homework’’ before making any more broad-brush statements against his religion.
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The Palmer United Party Senator has attracted widespread criticism for a spate of recent anti-sharia statements, with her comments reaching fever pitch in Federal Parliament yesterday.
Senator Lambie first conceded to her parliamentary colleagues that she was not an Islamic scholar, before launching into a lengthy speech blaming sharia law ‘‘supporters’’ for ‘‘every major terrorist attack in the world’’.
‘‘It’s about time we faced the fact that these maniacs and depraved humans will not stop committing their cold blooded butchery and rapes until every woman in Australia wears a burqa and is subservient to men,’’ she said.
Senator Lambie again insisted all sharia ‘‘supporters’’ must leave Australia before their ‘‘terrorism and depravity’’ is imposed on the country.
Imam Sabri Samson said he did not find the comments offensive, because it was obvious Senator Lambie did not understand what she was talking about.
‘‘Elements of sharia influence many aspects of the Islamic way of life for peaceful and moderate muslims right across the country and the world,’’ Imam Sabri said.
‘‘We have no interest in imposing the religious guidance on anybody else and it has nothing whatsoever to do with terrorism.’’
Imam Sabri said sharia must never be confused with Islamic State terrorists, saying the connection was totally wrong.
‘‘Islamic State fighters are ignorant crooks and extremists who use our religion’s name in vain to push their political agenda,’’ he said.
Senator Lambie found an unlikely ally in Braddon Liberal MHA Brett Whiteley yesterday, who broke with official party policy to back her controversial calls to ban burqas and denounce sharia.
But Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer publicly distanced himself from Senator Lambie’s comments, taking to Twitter to urge Australians to remain united and embrace diversity.
Independent MHR Andrew Wilkie said Senator Lambie must stop making inflammatory statements and exercise respect for people of different countries, cultures and religions.