Is Labor coming on board? Don’t hold your breath, but there is always hope:
A threat? … Labor says British journalist and Muslim convert Yvonne Ridley should be kicked out of Australia if reports she has praised suicide bombers are accurate
*
BRITISH journalist and Muslim convert Yvonne Ridley should not be allowed into Australia if reports that she has praised suicide bombers are verified, Labor says.
Ridley, who was a senior reporter for Britian’s Sunday Express, converted to Islam three years after she was captured by the Taliban while on an undercover assignment for the newspaper in 2001.
Her ordeal, in which she was imprisoned and interrogated by the Taliban, made headlines worldwide.
Her own website says she is well-known for her outspoken views and defence of Islam.
Sister Yvonne, as she is known now, also describes radical cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri as “quite sweet really” and says the Taliban have suffered an unfair press.
Ridley is to be a speaker at the first annual Australian Islamic Conference in Melbourne this weekend.
Opposition immigration spokesman Tony Burke said Ridley had praised the Chechen leader of the Beslan school massacre, Shamil Basayev, as a martyr and urged Muslims in Britain not to co-operate with police.
She is also alleged to have described suicide bombings as “martyrdom operations”.
Mr Burke said the Government should have the comments investigated and kick Ridley out of the country if necessary.
“If the quotes are accurate, her visa should be cancelled immediately,” Mr Burke said.
He questioned how Ms Ridley could have passed the character test required for a visa.
Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said Ridley had been allowed to enter Australia because there was nothing to suggest she was a security risk.
“In the case of Ms Ridley, she was judged not to be a threat to the national security of Australia,” Mr Andrews said on ABC radio.
“There is a vast distinction between allowing somebody into Australia whose views you may not like, and somebody who is a threat to national security.”
The immigration department decided this week not to allow another controversial figure, Sheik Bilal Philips, into Australia.
Sheik Philips, who was to be the keynote speaker at the conference, has been linked to the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York.
– with AAP
* Update:
Knock knock: Andrew Bolt knocks Ridley in his blog:
 Muslim extremist blames us for not liking her
As if we didn’t have enough Muslim bigots here without brainless Muslim groups inviting over more:
Firebrand Islamic convert Yvonne Ridley has accused Australians of being among the worst Muslim haters in the world.
Which makes Ridley one of the worst Australia-haters in the world.
At least we have some people that don’t take any crap form them Islamic freaks, that loopy bitch should not be aloud in any western country, she should be shipped off to a shit hole Islamic state, to stay for good. She is one loopy warped minded crazy bitch up to no good; I think its time for the Muslim women song by the good sheik .
http://sheikyermami.com/2006/12/19/muslim-woman/
I listened t this woman in an interview on the ABC. When challenged about defending suicide bombers, she was pathetic in her transperent attempts to avoid answering the question. A simple yes or no would have been enough. But she couldn’t bring herself to admit that she thought suicide bombings were matyrdom operations. I don’t use abusive language a lot but this woman has to be the stupidest cow on the planet. Let her in and show her up for the fool she is. Set Cardinal Pell on her.
Sorry Kevin Andrews, this woman is spruking ideas incompatilble with the peace and order of Australia. Her ideas ARE a threat to national security.
She appears to support terrorists and encourages Muslims to defy police.
Kevin Andrews is not much better than Vanstone.
This Hag-in-a-bag was let into the country for a reason while the other two were denied….I wouldn’t be too concerned.
It’s all to do with waking up Australians to the Mohammadens and so far it seems to be working well hahahaha, dumb bitch