Islamic radical on track to gain Australian asylum
SHADOW Minister for Immigration Sharman Stone has asked immigration officials to reconsider their recommendation that an Egyptian with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood be allowed entry to Australia.
CHANTAL ABITBOL
SHADOW Minister for Immigration Sharman Stone has asked immigration officials to reconsider their recommendation that an Egyptian with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood be allowed entry to Australia.
The Refugee Review Tribunal recommended a protection visa for the man — described as an “active supporter” of the radical Islamic group, Muslim Brotherhood — after he successfully argued he would face persecution for his political beliefs if forced to return to Egypt.
The group, which has called for the destruction of Israel, is banned in several countries, including Egypt. Other splinter members of the group include Hamas in Gaza and the Islamic Action Front in Jordan.
The group, however, is not listed as a terrorist organisation by the Australian governent.
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship had initially refused the applicant a visa, but the tribunal overruled the decision.
“The tribunal is of the view that the applicant’s decision to abandon ship, insistence on his ‘rights’ not to return to Egypt for medical treatment, and behaviour towards his captain, if combine with his support for the Muslim Brotherhood, his low-level political activities and past expression of anti-government political views, would generate a profile that could attract the adverse attention of the authorities and focus their attention on his sympathies for the brotherhood,” the tribunal said in its ruling.
“On this basis, the tribunal is of the opinion that there is a real chance that this could place the applicant at risk of facing arrest, detention and ill-treatment.”
Shadow Immigration Minister Dr Sharman Stone said she has written to Immigration Minister Senator Chris Evans asking for the decision to be overturned.
“This person should be sent home to Egypt,” she said. “Here we have a situation where an individual is using his membership of the Muslim Brotherhood to seek asylum. The tribunal found there was no evidence of him ever having being threatened or harmed in Egypt, yet he is using his membership of the group to claim asylum and hence permanent residency in Australia.”
Minister Evans’ spokesman stressed, however, that the applicant had not yet been granted a protection visa. “He’s currently undergoing rigorous security checks before a visa can be granted. Should there be an adverse security assessment, the immigration department can’t grant him a visa.”
Jeremy Jones, director of international affairs with the Australia-Israel Jewish Affairs Council, said he wasn’t familiar enough with the case to comment specifically. But he voiced concern over the group’s activities, saying it was fundamentally opposed to liberal democracy and pluralism.
“The Muslim Brotherhood has many different manifestations in many different countries, but overall it’s been banned in many countries for many sound reasons. They’re dedicated to replacing existing regimes with theirs. You would not think that Australia would want to be a haven for people advocating extremist political doctrine which, in this case, is masquerading as a religious doctrine.”
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