NSW inquiry told ban on 'globalise the intifada' would hit Muslim Australians

Banning phrases such as 'globalise the intifada' is likely to disproportionately affect Muslim Australians, including Palestinian and Arab communities, the Australian National Imams Council told a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry, a submission seen by Guardian Australia said.

The activist group Palestine Action Group echoed that view and warned a ban risked importing 'repressive models from overseas, particularly the United Kingdom'. The inquiry, into 'measures to prohibit slogans that incite hatred', closed to submissions on Monday, three weeks after the Bondi terror attack that sparked it.

NSW premier Chris Minns had singled out the phrase as 'hateful, violent rhetoric' when changes to gun control, hate speech and protest laws were rushed through parliament; the government asked the parliamentary committee to investigate before introducing legislative changes. Other organisations made divergent points.

A spokesperson for the Executive Council of Australian Jewry said hate speech laws needed to be 'broad and flexible enough to capture the constant changes in symbolism and coded messaging'. The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies has previously welcomed a ban, while the director of the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation described the phrase as 'offensive' and 'threatening'.

Key Topics

Politics, Nsw Inquiry, Anic, Palestine Action Group, Bondi Terror Attack, Chris Minns