Australia’s grand mufti wins defamation case over News Corp articles
He had “condemned all forms of terrorism, including on Facebook”, which, in Muslim speak, means he condemned all and any resistance to the Islamic expansion program. Good enough for him to win a handsome payout.
From the Guardian:
Media group consents to judgment as part of settlement with Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, after paper said he had not condemned Paris attacks
Sydney’s Daily Telegraph newspaper published two stories highly critical of the response of the grand mufti, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, to the co-ordinated terrorist attacks that killed 130 people in November 2015.
One depicted him as three “unwise” monkeys, covering his ears, eyes and mouth, next to the words “Sees no problems, hears no concerns, speaks no English”.
The second article was headlined: “Even Hamas condemn the Paris attacks so why won’t Australia’s Grand Mufti Ibrahim Abu Mohammed?”.
Mohamed, Australia’s most senior Sunni scholar, sued News Corp for defamation early last year, and verdicts were entered by agreement with News Corp in his favour in the NSW supreme court on Friday. The terms of the settlement were confidential.
Mohamed had alleged the articles wrongly implied he had failed to condemn the terrorist attacks and shifted blame away from the perpetrators.
He had issued a statement days before the defamatory articles, which mourned the loss of innocent lives in Paris and expressed his deepest condolences to families and friends of the victims.
The statement canvassed “causative factors” of terrorism, including racism, Islamophobia, curtailing freedoms, foreign policies and military intervention.
Mohamed had earlier posted a Facebook statement about the Paris attacks and a bombing in Beirut, which said: “There are no words to truly describe the devastation of these acts but we will continue in solidarity and pray for peace.”
He had previously condemned all forms of terrorism, including on Facebook, in interviews with the ABC and in other formal statements.
His statement of claim alleged he had been brought into hatred, ridicule and contempt, and was gravely injured in his character and reputation.
In other news:
News Corp had previously defended the claim, arguing that the imputations of the articles were substantially true. It also argued that some of the defamatory imputations were an expression of honest opinion.
But when the matter returned to the NSW supreme court on Friday morning, Justice Lucy McCallum was told the matter had been settled.
The Australian National Imams Council released a statement welcoming the outcome.
“The grand mufti … holds the highest religious post for an Islamic scholar in Australia. He has dedicated his life to the pursuit of knowledge, justice, and peace, and is proud to continue to represent the religious views of the vast majority of Australian Muslims,” the statement said.
“It is hoped that the outcome of the proceedings is the first step towards improved harmony between Australian Muslims and the media in the future,” the statement said.
The mufti, who was in court on Friday, declined to comment further.
News Corp has been contacted for comment.
Again a senior Muslim deflects scrutiny of Islam by blaming the victims. The west has every reason to fear Islam. It is not a phobia. Curtailing freedoms? That is precisely what Islam does. Foreign policies? Oh, we are not allowed to help stem the tide of Islam by helping in the fight against Jihad. Military intervention? Some of the Muslim countries have asked the West to intervene. Personally I think it is pointless but you can’t blame the invited military. They are the response, right or wrong, not the cause. It is impossible to defame a Muslim. News Corp should have stood its ground. Or perhaps they are remembering Charlie Hedbo.
Just goes to show you that not only is the law blind, but deaf, dumb, stupid and ignorant. You can always be assured that if their is a buck to be made out of either the telling of the truth or perceived grief or hurt feelings, Muslims will be at the front of the line.