Teen footballers charged over gang rape

By Greg Roberts,
AAP October 27, 2009, 7:53 pm

Three teenagers have been charged over the alleged gang rape of two women during an end of season football trip.

The youths were among a group of 16 young men arrested on Tuesday morning over the alleged rapes at Phillip Island, about 140km south of Melbourne, earlier this month.

A 17-year-old and two 18-year-olds are charged with false imprisonment, rape and indecent assault.

The 17-year-old from Montmorency, and the other youths from Bundoora and Lower Plenty were to face an out-of-sessions court hearing on Tuesday night.

Police raided four properties in Melbourne's northeast at 6am (AEDT) on Tuesday and arrested the young men aged between 17 and 20.

They include players from Montmorency Football Club in Melbourne's northern suburbs who were on an end of season trip to Phillip Island.

Two local women complained to police that they were raped by a group of men on Saturday, October 10 at Cowes on Phillip Island.

One of Montmorency's coaches said the trip was not officially connected to the club.

"It was not an official trip, the only official football trip involved seniors and reserves players that went to Glenelg," he told AAP.

"There was no under-19s footy trip, I think a few of the boys went away with friends.

"We had a lady from the AFL come here halfway through the football season who gave a talk how to respect women.

"We don't want any trouble, we just want to play the game, be successful, give some of these young blokes a game and get them off the streets."

AFL Victoria chief executive officer Peter Schwab said he was "shocked at the allegations".

He also confirmed the club had participated in the AFL's Respect and Responsibility program aimed at creating respect and safe environments for women.

"It's an extremely distressing time for the two girls concerned and our thoughts are with them," he told AAP.

"Certainly we would hope anyone involved would come forward and co-operate fully with the police.

"We trust the police will get to the bottom of it."

The AFL has been liaising with the Northern Football League, in which Montmorency plays.

Mr Schwab said the NFL has the power to de-register players and officials from its affiliated clubs.

The NFL's general manager Kevin Crompton released a statement saying the league and club were bitterly disappointed with the allegations.

"The NFL takes the allegations very seriously and encourages anyone with information to come forward," he said.

The search warrants were carried out at two properties in Montmorency and one each in Bundoora and Briar Hill while CCTV footage was seized from Cowes nightspots.

Detective Inspector Glenn Davies from the Sexual Crimes Squad said violence against women would not be tolerated and all such offences would be thoroughly investigated.

"I encourage all women who are victims of sexual assault to report these offences to police," he said in a statement.

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Muslims must tackle theology of hate

Abdullah Saeed August 07, 2009

Article from: The Australian

EVENTS of the past decade have shown that small groups of militant extremist Muslims have a remarkable ability to create havoc in much of the world: killing, suicide bombing and destruction in the name of Islam.

That the number of these militant extremists is small is not a good reason for the majority of Muslims to remain silent.

The ideology of these small groups has become widespread at a global level and unless the silent majority in Muslim societies wakes up to the threat these militant extremists pose to their societies, their religion and to the world, there is a danger that militant extremism could become the norm in some Muslim societies.

Countering the ideology of militant extremists from 9/11 to the recent Jakarta bombings, Muslim religious leaders, theologians, academics, journalists and others have labelled such actions as anti-Islamic.

Australia, home to about 400,000 Muslims, has become a target of militant extremists, as a series of arrests this week has demonstrated. The law-abiding silent majority of Muslim Australians faces a particularly important task, now more than ever: to counter the threat of militant extremism and the hate-filled ideology of the extremists, and to save the younger generation of Muslims from this ideology.

This does not mean that Muslim Australians are somehow responsible for the acts of militant extremists; clearly they are not, and law-abiding Muslims should not be held responsible for the criminal acts of those who call themselves Muslim.

There are several things mainstream Muslim Australians can do. Condemning the violence in the strongest terms is naturally the starting point, but it should not be the end of the story.

Mainstream Muslims have to actively counter the claims of these militant extremists, just as Muslims in the past have done so at different points throughout the history of Islam, and in doing so helped to keep the militant extremists at the margins of society.

Mainstream Muslim Australians need to recognise that Koranic verses and the sayings of the prophet Mohammed can be misused and twisted to justify the most terrible acts. Unfortunately, all religious texts are not mathematical in their precision and are open to all forms of interpretation. Therefore, to counter the militants' arguments, it is important to show that the views and interpretations of the militants ought to be rejected because they are un-Islamic and go against mainstream Muslim thinking and practice.

The silent majority should strengthen its campaign of undermining the militancy and hatred advocated by the extremists. This campaign should begin at Friday sermons, in mosques, at homes, through lesson at Muslim weekend and day schools, in study circles and youth camps. This is no doubt happening but more needs to be done in view of the present situation.

There needs to be a strong and clear message that killing innocent people, be they Muslims or non-Muslims, is a grave sin and is prohibited in the strongest terms in the Koran and in keeping with Mohammed's deeds.

More broadly, there needs to be an emphasis that Islam teaches compassion and love rather than hate. Unless the theology of hate is challenged, it is likely to become the standard interpretation of their faith for many disaffected young Muslims.

It is important that mainstream Muslims stop -- where that happens -- berating the West for its supposed moral failings and preaching that Muslims cannot be fully Muslim in Australia if they are actively involved in Australian society as full citizens.

Australia is not a perfect society, but neither is any other society. It is not mutually exclusive to be a good practising Muslim and an Australian. That certain vices contrary to Islamic teaching -- such as gambling, pornography or brothels -- exist in Australian society is no reason to label Australia un-Islamic. These vices also exist in all Muslim societies. No one forces any Muslim to indulge in any of these vices.

The freedoms that exist here are a part of Australian society's fundamental values and should be seen as a plus from a Muslim point of view. Such freedoms can be used to bolster one's faith.

Many Muslims find that these freedoms allow them to live in Australia as practising Muslims in a way that is not possible in many Muslim-majority countries, where religious freedom is often curtailed, even for Muslims. In essence, Australian values and Islamic teachings on the question of freedom are not so vastly different. Both are based on ideas such as human dignity, justice, equity and egalitarianism.

The basis of some hate-filled literature is that non-Muslims are kuffar (unbelievers) and therefore do not deserve to be treated with respect. Such views are rightly rejected by mainstream Muslims. But rejection is not enough. They need to promote the Koranic teaching that all human beings, whatever their faith, deserve to be honoured as the children of Adam. It needs to be stressed that non-Muslims and Muslims are brothers and sisters within the human family. The Koran tells us that God never wanted to convert all human beings to one religion. Had he so desired, he could have done so. All human beings are free to accept or reject a religion, as the Koran consistently teaches.

The Koran also teaches that debates with non-Muslims about faith should be conducted with the utmost courtesy and dignity.

Respect, courtesy and compassion are repeatedly emphasised in the Koran and these injunctions are in line with the idea that Islam is a universal faith that attempts to contribute to human dignity.

It is important to deal with militant extremism at the ideological-theological level as a matter of urgency. Mere condemnation is insufficient. Sitting on the fence will not help either.

Muslim Australians and their religious leaders can play a crucial role in dealing with the theology of hatred and violence.

Security agencies can protect us from the violence of the militant extremists but, unless the ideological-theological component is effectively tackled, they will continue to pose a threat for a very long time to come.

The last thing Muslim Australians need is a continuous flow of news about possible terrorist threats emerging from within the Australian Muslim community.

Abdullah Saeed is the director of the National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies at the University of Melbourne.

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Man faces court over explosives find

August 6, 2009 - 6:07PM

A man charged with making explosives was on anti-depressant medication, a Melbourne court has been told.

Russell Heard, 46, of Wyndham Vale in Melbourne's west, faced the Melbourne Magistrates' Court today charged with explosives offences.

Police allegedly discovered the explosive materials during a raid while carrying out a search warrant about 6pm yesterday.

The court was told Heard is on anti-depressant medication and should be assessed by a doctor.

Magistrate Lance Martin suppressed publication of Heard's image after the court heard identity may be an issue in the case.

Heard is charged with making an explosive substance with intent to damage property and possessing an explosive substance with intent to cause serious injury to property.

He made no application for bail and was remanded in custody to reappear on October 29 for committal mention.

In a media statement this morning, police said they believed they had uncovered a clandestine laboratory for the use and manufacture of explosive substances and had seized chemicals and apparatus from the home.

They were searching the property as part of an investigation into a burglary.

AAP

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Police swoop in counter-terrrorism raids

Thomas Hunter

August 4, 2009 - 7:02AM

Homes across Melbourne's north have been raided in a joint counter-terrorism operation reportedly targeting Islamic suicide bombers this morning.

Victoria Police and the Australian Federal Police executed 19 search warrants at homes in Glenroy, Carlton, Meadow Heights, Roxburgh Park, Broadmeadows, Westmeadows, Preston, Epping and Colac about 4.30am.

More than 400 officers from the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Victoria Police, NSW Police, the NSW Crime Commission and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) were involved in the operation.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said there had been a number of arrests, but she would not say how many.

Police have set up a crime scene at the corner of View and Glen streets, Glenroy, in Melbourne's north.

The Australian this morning reported that national security agencies had uncovered a plot by Islamic extremists to launch a suicide attack on an Australian army base, which was understood to be Holsworthy Barracks on Sydney's western outskirts.

It said the raids involved a suspected terrorist cell of Australian nationals of Somali and Lebanese backgrounds.

The report said members of the group had been observed carrying out surveillance at the army base and other suspicious activity around defence bases in Victoria.

It also said the cell had been inspired by the Somalia-based terrorist movement al-Shabaab, which had connections with al-Qaeda.

The investigation dubbed Operation Health, involving 150 members of the AFP, Victoria Police and ASIO, was launched in January, the report said.

An AFP spokeswoman this morning confirmed its officers had joined the raids.

"The AFP and Victoria Police can confirm the execution of a number of search warrants this morning as part of a joint counter-terrorism operation,'' she said.

The spokeswoman said more information would be available later this morning.

She was unable to confirm the News Ltd report.

- with AAP

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Bomb detonators found in northern beaches unit: police

Arjun Ramachandran

July 31, 2009 - 6:39AM

The bomb squad has found a number of bomb detonators at a unit on Sydney’s northern beaches overnight, police say.

Residents were evacuated from a unit block, on Fisher Road at Dee Why, after the discovery in one of its units about 7pm.

They were allowed to return to their homes about 10pm after police deemed it safe.

Police found the detonators during a search of the raided unit, which also uncovered cash, a replica firearm, tablets, cannabis and a crystal matter believed to be illicit drugs, police said.

The unit’s 31-year-old male occupant was charged with drug possession, drug supply, firearm offences, handling an explosive precursor without a license and dealing with the proceeds of crime.

He was refused bail and will face Manly Local Court today.

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Possible bomb-making materials found in Newcastle flat

Posted Fri Jul 24, 2009 12:02am AEST

A block of flats in Newcastle has been evacuated after police discovered possible bomb-making materials in one of the units.

Police say they went to the flat at New Lambton Heights this afternoon as part of a routine inquiry.

When they found the powders and chemicals they called in a hazmat team, police rescue and the bomb disposal unit and sealed off several roads around the unit block.

A 23-year-old man was found hiding in the roof of the unit block and is now being questioned by police.

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A class of their own

Sally Neighbour June 19, 2009

Article from: The Australian

FIVE-year-old Abdul is a small and sensitive boy. From when he was a toddler his parents worried about how he would fare in a classroom full of rowdy kindergarteners, let alone a school playground. Devout Muslims, they also wanted their son's schooling to reflect their religious beliefs. So Abdul's mother decided to teach him herself.

Abdul sits at the dining table in their three-bedroom house in Sydney's Bass Hill, surrounded by piles of books from the library, sounding out words from Dr Seuss's The Cat in the Hat. Next he goes exploring in the garden and finds a stick insect, then logs on to the computer to Google stick insects and their habits. Later he'll attend a neighbourhood karate class or his weekly swimming lesson. His mother Amar now can't imagine sending him to school.

"He can be quite shy, he's a bit like me, he's going to do things in his own time," she says. "If your child doesn't fit into the mould, if your child is a little bit different they can't cater for them (at school). It's a set curriculum, the teachers have to get through A, B, C and D, (whereas) I can see what his strengths and weaknesses are and concentrate on that."

Amid the controversy over Islamic schools in Australia and fierce debate over religious v secular schooling, increasing numbers of Muslim families are choosing a third and no less controversial alternative: home schooling.

"It is very much growing in the Muslim community, it's been one of the busiest years I can remember," says Mujahidah Flint, who founded the Muslim Home Education Network 10 years ago. She says she knows at least 100 families in NSW who have opted to educate their children at home, and this year she's had inquiries from another 40, about half of whom have gone ahead. She recently launched an online forum where home-schooling families swap information and advice.

"Every family's different, they all home school for different reasons," Flint says. "Islamic reasons, academic reasons, maybe they're going overseas and want their children to have more Arabic.

"Many are just dissatisfied with the school system in general, or maybe their child has a disability and the school is not able to cater for the needs of their child."

A New Zealand-born Muslim convert, Flint is a former marketing executive and has a BA in English. She drives a black Audi convertible sports car, which matches her black hijab. "I'm a businesswoman: they used to say I could sell sand to the Arabs," she says.

Twelve years ago Flint decided to shelve her career to become the teacher of her two daughters, Aleah and Tahirrah, then aged six and four. She was unimpressed by the Australian education system and wanted her children to learn the phonics method of reading rather than the whole-word approach used in most Australian schools. She also wanted their faith to be foremost.

"I wanted my children to have a very strong Islamic identity and a more well-rounded, worldly education. My intention was to give them an individualised education, as opposed to an institutionalised one."

Flint tapped into an established network of Christians who were home-schooling their children, and liked what she saw.

"I found they were very well-educated, well-mannered, had very close family ties, a very strong sense of identity and strong religious beliefs, and I wanted that for my children."

She obtained books and resources from the US, where more than 1 million children are taught at home, and embarked on her new career as a teacher.

"Initially you try to replicate the school environment at home," she says. "I got the whiteboard, desks, rulers, books. I used to do it from nine to three and take the phone off the hook.

"That lasted about six months, until I found that life got in the way and I realised that life is part of education too, and that I didn't want to replicate the school environment. Home schooling is definitely not school at home."

Aleah and Tahirrah, now aged 18 and 16, completed their schooling at 14. Today, they are articulate, outgoing and impeccably mannered young women. Both are now studying childcare in order to get a qualification.

Tahirrah has an online photography business and hopes to become a photo-journalist, while Aleah is content to do voluntary community work before marrying and having children. The two girls are enthusiastic advocates of home schooling.

"I loved it. It was fun, it wasn't boring," says Aleah. "The way that schools educate is not the only way that people can learn. Our whole life was really learning all the time."

She remembers doing lessons in the park, and on hot summer days finishing their schoolwork in the morning and being allowed to spend the rest of the day in the pool. The advantages were "getting to be with my mum, getting to know my mum, being a closer family; we have a much closer family bond. Education-wise, pursuing your own interests, being able to travel, it's so much more free. You have a life with home-schooling".

The home-schooling movement began in the 1960s and 70s as an anti-establishment phenomenon. Esther Lacoba, president of the Home Education Association of Australia, says: "The attitude (then) was 'why should my child be institutionalised in a school? I don't want my child to just be a number. Children deserve better than that'."

It had a new spurt in the 80s inspired by the burgeoning Christian home education movement in the US. Seventy-five per cent of US home-schoolers are Christians, but the Muslim sector is estimated to be doubling every year. Lacoba says the trend is mirrored here, although the numbers are much smaller.

"People of various faiths believe the secular school system is not good for their children," she says. "Quite a few Muslims are members of the HEA; it's definitely growing, Muslim and non-Muslim."

The precise numbers of Australian children being taught at home are unclear. In 2007, the HEA held a series of conferences across the country, attended by more than 1200 home-schooling families.

The NSW Board of Studies says just over 2000 students are registered for home-schooling in NSW. Lacoba believes the real figure is double that as many families don't register, although they are required by law to do so. Flint believes the number nationwide may be as high as 20,000.

The regulations differ from state to state. Typically home-schoolers must adhere to the key subject areas in the state curriculum, follow a teaching plan, keep detailed records, and monitor the achievements and progress of students. Beyond that, it's up to them.

"Home-schooled kids do loads more than what they're taught at school," says Flint. "They basically finish the entire school curriculum by the age of 13 or 14. You're not restricted by the curriculum, you can let them excel."

Professional educators, however, take a much dimmer view. The Australian Education Union opposes home schooling, which it describes as "inconsistent with the philosophy and importance of schooling itself".

"Schooling is a very important socialising agent, the socialising is just as important as the learning," says AEU president, Angelo Gavrielatos. "It's about students learning together and, just as importantly, learning to live together."

He says the trend in the Muslim community is "a cause for further concern, given the types of enclaves that can generate".

"Schooling aims to break down segregation. Education should ameliorate rather than exacerbate social divisions," Gavrielatos says.

"If we're on about the development of a genuinely socially cohesive society, any move that acts against that should at least be questioned. When we start to enter the realm of educating along ethno-religious lines, that should ring some serious alarm bells for us as a society."

Home schoolers are accustomed to the persistent questions. How can you teach if you're not a qualified teacher? How can you help your kids master subjects that you struggle with yourself? What about their socialisation? How can you stand to be around your children 24 hours a day?
Flint has answers ready. "Home schooling is really about giving parents choices. This is a legal option; it is very much about a parent's right to choose what education method the parent wants for their child.

"You don't necessarily have to have a teaching diploma in order to teach your children. You rely on friends. If you're not great at one thing you find someone else who is. You trade: 'OK, you teach my kids maths and I'll teach your kids English'."

She says there's no evidence that home-schooled kids are disadvantaged. "We find that people who do home schooling and then put their children back into school, their children are often scholastically ahead of other children."

Lacoba agrees. "My experience is that kids who are home educated have a different work ethic, because when you're in a group of 25 kids at school, you're going through the motions.

"Home-schooled kids are choosing what they're learning so they're engaged with it. By the time they hit adulthood they really know how to find what interests them and seek it out."

Their confidence is supported by overseas research. A senior research analyst with the US Department of Education, Patricia M. Lines, writes in an article posted on pro-home schooling websites: "Research has not found that home schooling harms children's social or psychological development. On the contrary, these children often demonstrate better social adjustment than their traditionally schooled peers."

A 2002 study by the University of Durham in northern England found that home-educated children had "high levels of attainment and good social skills", "benefited from parental attention and the freedom to develop their skills at their own pace", and that their "families enjoyed strong bonds and parents were committed to providing a nurturing environment for their children".

Abdul's mother, Amar, says for her it's about putting her family first. "I don't know how people who send their children to school have time to have a life. With all the extra-curricular activity, if I had my son in school there would be no time left for family time, and that's really important to us."

Speaking from experience, 18-year-old Aleah shakes her head emphatically when asked whether she sees any disadvantages. "No way. I loved home-schooling. I will do the same thing with my kids and I hope they'll do the same thing with their kids."

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