A mosque in Sydney's south west has caused a stir, after video surfaced on Instagram of the auction of a flag with the same symbol as Islamic State militants.
Liverpool's Markaz Imam Ahmad mosque and youth centre has since responded, stating the auction of the black and white flag featuring the Shahada was simply part of a fundraiser for the actual centre.
"The MIA serves to promote peace and harmony amongst Muslim Australians ... we reject any attempts to tarnish the good reputation of our centre and pledge to stand firm against the current wave of Islamophobia," the statement reads. " ... the newspaper’s use of the term “jihadist” is false and inappropriate."
The Islamic Friendship Association also jumped to the mosque's defence, stating the event occurred weeks ago, and the extent of controversy caused was not on the minds of the organisers who thought they were just auctioning "an old established islamic symbol".
"Sometimes people do things with the best of intentions," said Keysar Trad. "... and why should this violent group be allowed to hijack [the symbol]."
It comes as Prime Minister Tony Abbott confirmed the government is working to ensure people who have been "radicalised and brutalised" through contact with the "death cult" ISIL, are not a menace to the Australian community.
MEDIA RELEASE
MIA REJECTS THE DAILY TELEGRAPH’S SCARE CAMPAIGN
Monday, 8 September 2014
The Daily Telegraph newspaper this morning accused the Markaz Imam Ahmad (MIA) in Liverpool of supporting terrorism by auctioning a “jihadist” flag. This accusation is unfounded and defamatory. The News Corporation paper is engaging in the worst kind of sensationalism as part of a scare campaign to sell papers.
The black and white flag being referred to is an important symbol in Islam which contains the first pillar of the Muslim creed, the testimony of faith (shahaadah) that “there is no god except God and Muhammad is His Messenger”; and the seal of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him). This flag has been in existence for more than a thousand years, long before any terrorist organisation misappropriated it for its own political goals.
As for the money raised at the fundraiser auction which was held in late July was for the mosque and for no other purpose.
In addition, the newspaper’s use of the term “jihadist” is false and inappropriate. The unusual combination of an Arabic word with an English suffix negatively stereotypes the noble Islamic concept of striving for what is better. The frequent misuse of this term by sensationalist media only serves to promote hatred of Muslims and Islam.
The MIA serves to promote peace and harmony amongst Muslim Australians specifically and with the wider community in general. We work tirelessly to educate young Muslims about the beautiful ideology and teachings of Islam. “We reject any attempts to tarnish the good reputation of our centre and pledge to stand firm against the current wave of Islamophobia. We also believe that scapegoating and fear mongering has the serious potential of radicalising disaffected youth,” said the head of MIA, Sheikh Abu Adnan.
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MIA - Markaz Imam Ahmadvia Facebook at 7:47 AM
