Abbott: Jihadists not welcome
THE Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) has welcomed Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s promise to take a hard line on keeping jihadists out of Australia.
THE Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) has welcomed Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s promise to take a hard line on keeping jihadists out of Australia.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that the Frenchman arrested in connection with the shooting at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels last month – which claimed four lives – had previously spent over a year fighting with jihadists in Syria.
Last year, an Australian government source said that 200 Australians could be currently fighting in the war-torn nation.
Abbott told reporters in Melbourne on Monday that the government would do “everything it humanly can” to stop jihadist terrorists coming into Australia.
“And if they do return to this country, we will do everything we reasonably can to ensure that they are not moving amongst the Australian community,” he said.
“This is a government which believes in border security … we will ensure that we stop the jihadists because the last thing we want is people who have been radicalised and militarised by experience with these al-Qaeda offshoots in the Middle East – the last thing we want is these people who have been radicalised and militarised returning to create mischief here in Australia.”
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop expressed her “deep concern” over Australian jihadists earlier this month when contacted by The AJN in the wake of the Belgium shooting.
ECAJ president Robert Goot said the issue was of great concern to the community and to all Australians.
“The man suspected of murdering four people at the Brussels Jewish Museum is believed to have returned from jihad in Syria shortly before carrying out the attack,” he said.
“We have every reason to fear that Australian citizens fighting in jihadist terrorist organisations abroad may seek to carry out similar attacks if they are allowed to return.
“We welcome the Prime Minister’s determination to ensure that those who travel abroad in pursuit of sectarian conflict and terrorism will not be allowed to return to endanger Australians.”
Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) director of international and community affairs Jeremy Jones said the threat posed by individuals “who are both ideologically committed to a revolutionary and radical ideology and have gained training from terrorist groups in murder” should never be underestimated.
“Our government has a serious challenge in ensuring Australians who have been seduced by evil ideologies are not able to threaten Muslims with whom they disagree, the fundamental institutions of Australian democracy or other potential targets, including the Jewish community,” he said.
“The problem is not restricted to Australians who have travelled overseas and it is dangerous to conflate the issues of terrorism with immigration, but the returnees from conflict zones exacerbate and add a sharp edge to what was already a matter of utmost importance.”
GARETH NARUNSKY
Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Photo: Peter Haskin.
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