An ugly situation in Australia

There is a really ugly atmosphere developing in Australia with anti-Muslim hate mail and planned violent demonstrations

Australian diplomats brace for Pakistan protests

_{AUSTRALIA has temporarily closed its high commission in Islamabad because of fears of violent protests over a US-made anti-Islam film and cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in a French magazine.}

The Australian,

21 September, 2012

Tens of thousands of Pakistanis are expected to protest today after crowds tried to storm the Pakistan capital's diplomatic enclave yesterday.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said the closure was a “precaution due to heightened unrest in and around the diplomatic enclave”.

The Pakistani government has called an impromptu public holiday today and has urged people to protest peacefully to show their opposition to the crudely made Innocence of Muslims film.

However, fearful of attacks, Pakistan authorities blocked cell phone services in major cities to prevent militants from using phones to detonate bombs during the day of protest.

All of Pakistan's major political parties and religious groups have announced protests, as have many trade and transport organisations.

DFAT has also updated its travel advice for Australians visiting Pakistan, warning of “anti-Western demonstrations”.

Australian officials have been warned to remain indoors during the public holiday.

Western missions across the Islamic world are on high alert ahead of Friday prayers, which are often followed by protests.

The protests will follow demonstrations yesterday around the world, with crowds from Nigeria to Iran and Afghanistan chanting: “Death to France” and “Death to America”.

In Pakistan, shops, markets and petrol stations will close and transport is likely to come to a standstill, but authorities will hope there is no repeat of the violence seen on the streets of the capital yesterday.

Around 5,000 angry protesters, many armed with wooden clubs, battled police near Islamabad's heavily guarded diplomatic enclave, demanding access to the US embassy, as police used tear gas and live rounds to disperse the crowd.

There have been dozens of protests against the film across Pakistan in the past week, and two people have died, but yesterday was the first time violence erupted in the capital.

Dozens of officers were wounded and a police post burnt to the ground before army troops were eventually called in to disperse the protesters, who had breached a wall of shipping containers designed to hold them back.

The film has triggered protests in at least 20 countries since excerpts were posted online, and more than 30 people have been killed in related violence.

The US State Department yesterday warned its citizens to avoid travel to Pakistan, and Washington paid to air adverts on Pakistani television in a bid to disassociate the US government from the inflammatory film.

US interests bore the brunt of the first wave of protests against the amateurish film, which depicts Mohammed as a thuggish sexual deviant.

But this week France also found itself in the firing line after the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo printed a batch of cartoons caricaturing the founder of Islam, including two showing him naked.

French authorities banned a demonstration planned for tomorrow in front of Paris's Grand Mosque, and will close diplomatic missions, cultural centres and French schools in around 20 Muslim countries today.

US citizens warned of possible protests in Australia

Radio NZ.

21 September, 2012

United States authorities have warned their citizens in Australia to avoid parts of Sydney and Melbourne this weekend due to possible violent protests.

It follows last weekend's unrest in Sydney when the US consulate was the target of protests against a film made in America that mocks the Prophet Mohammed.

America's consular general has now taken the highly unusual step of issuing an emergency message to US citizens, warning them to avoid its central Melbourne and Sydney's Martin Place and Hyde Park this weekend, the ABC reports.

There will be extra police on patrol in Sydney's CBD, but authorities say they so far have no indication there will be a repeat of last week's trouble.

Muslim leaders have called for Friday holy day prayers to be used to urge the Islamic community to remain calm.

Nine people were arrested since the protest in Sydney last Saturday.

Islamic community reports surge in hate mail since recent violent protest in Sydney

Victoria's Islamic community is reporting a surge in hate mail in the wake of the violent protests in Sydney and around the world.

News.com,

26 April, 2012

Islamic Council of Victoria spokeswoman Sherene Hassan said community members were being urged to report anti-Muslim messages and incidents to the police.

“There's been a surge in obscene hate mail around the state, but there's also been a significant number of support letters and emails,'' she said.

``We will be encouraging our community to be vigilant in reporting any hate crimes to the authorities and to the ICV.''

Ms Hassan said the ICV was also consulting with its community and religious leaders to work out ways to deal with issues such as the US-made anti-Islam video.

``We will be discussing the way forward. How do we prevent anything like that (violent protests) happening in Victoria in the future,'' she said.

``How do we engage with our youth more, how do we provide programs to support them.''

Ms Hassan said that people who turned up to protest on Sunday would be wasting their time because nothing was planned or supported.

But she was concerned that far Right groups were threatening to use violence in counter-demonstrations.

Meanwhile, Americans visiting Melbourne have been warned to stay away from any anti-American protests in the city this weekend.

The United States Bureau of Diplomatic Security published the warnings in an emergency message for US citizens in Australia.

“Melbourne law enforcement authorities have also advised of possible anti-American protests in downtown Melbourne on Saturday, September 22 and Sunday, September 23. Should they occur, U.S. citizens should avoid the immediate demonstration areas,” the warning said.

It also warned American visitors in Sydney to stay away from Hyde Park and Martin Place, after last weekend’s demonstrations turned violent.

The warnings come after a pro-Islamic rally planned in Melbourne for Sunday was called off by the event's organiser.

Swaybah Javed, who had helped invite more than 1800 people through social networking to a rally outside the city's State Library, scrapped the event and blamed media, police and politicians for creating a violent atmosphere.

In her post on a Facebook page for the rally, Ms Javed said she had always planned to protest peacefully, but that doing so would no longer be possible.

Her move to cancel the event came as racist text messages were circulated yesterday, encouraging anti-Muslim protesters to confront Ms Javed's planned rally, before she called it off.

The viral messages said their counter-demonstration would be bigger than the infamous Cronulla riots.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said police were aware of the text messages and were monitoring the situation.

“Our position remains the same. We had plans in place for the gathering on Sunday and our plans have not changed, regardless of what text messages are going back and forth,” the spokeswoman said.

Ms Javed, a university graduate who has been involved in other protests and pro-Pakistan events, said her Muslim friends have been calling her and warning that they've already been racially abused and threatened.

She told AAP it was a "shameful day for Australia when Islamophobia has boiled over to the point where it is impossible to carry out a peaceful protest".

Ms Javed said she had organised the rally in response to controversial YouTube film Innocence of Muslims, the treatment of Sydney protesters and because of the “racially targeted” terror raids in Melbourne last week.

Ramzi Elsayed, President of the Islamic Council of Victoria, said board members had been in discussions with Ms Javed and were pleased she cancelled the protest.

Mr Elsayed said the ICV was convinced she had planned the protest for the right reasons.

“She was very sincere and genuine, she wasn’t doing it out of agitation,” he said.

“(But) we thought it would be best to do it through public processes.”

“She’s a young girl and she’s probably a bit of an embodiment of what young people feel.”

Mr Elsayed said there would be internal discussions on how to bring the issue forward constructively.

Despite the cancellation, almost 250 people are still listed to attend the event at the State Library on Sunday

Two held over mobile protest messages

Two men have been arrested for allegedly sending mobile phone text messages and using social media websites to recruit people for a violent demonstration in Sydney this weekend.

SMH,

21 September, 2012

The pair were allegedly planning an anti-Islamic rally, in response to last week's protest by Muslims in Sydney's CBD.

Only hours after police warned detectives were monitoring social media to catch anyone planning violent protests, they arrested a 20-year-old man at an Ingleburn business at 12.40pm today.

Police will allege the man had sent texts and online messages "inciting members of the public to attend the Sydney CBD over the weekend and commit acts of violence".

He has been charged with recruiting persons to engage in criminal activity and printing or publish to incite, urge or aid commission of crime.

He was granted bail and will appear in Penrith Local Court next month.

A 21-year-old man was arrested at George Street in Sydney at 1.20pm and is speaking to detectives at The Rocks.

Police said they were closely monitoring social media websites amid attempts by anti-Islamic groups to hold demonstrations in Sydney this weekend.

Three hundred extra police, including mounted officers, the dog unit and the riot squad, will be brought into Sydney's CBD this weekend to ensure there is no repeat of last Saturday's unrest.

Messages have been circulating on Facebook encouraging further retaliation against the anti-Islamic film Innocence of Muslims and the police who quelled last week's demonstration.

The US consulate has also issued a warning to its citizens to keep away from Martin Place and Hyde Park - the scenes of last week's violence - this weekend.

Assistant Police Commissioner Alan Clarke this morning said the extra officers were only as a precaution and that there was no intelligence to suggest there would be any demonstrations in Sydney this weekend.

"We certainly are prepared for any event but at this point in time we are anticipating a calm and peaceful weekend and we encourage the community to enjoy it," he said.

Mr Clarke said detectives were also monitoring online discussions by anti-Islamic groups about possible reciprocal protests to last weekend's unrest.

"We are monitoring that; I currently have detectives available and if we can get to the source of that information people will be prosecuted," he said.

"Where we are monitoring those instances in social media they are not generating momentum and we are not anticipating that incidents should occur."

ABC's 7.30 program reported yesterday there were online and text messages calling for a violent response to Saturday's protests.

One text message in Victoria allegedly added: "They thought Cronulla riots were bad. We grew there, they flew there! Australians unite!"

Victoria's Deputy Police Commissioner Tim Cartwright told the program he found the text message "disgusting".

"I found that text message itself quite disturbing. Probably disgusting would be a strong enough word to say how I found that. There is nothing to indicate that we'll have any sort of riots in this city," he said.

Ex-boxer's charges upgraded

Police have now arrested nine people over last Saturday's incident where protesters clashed with police.

One of those, former national champion boxer, Ahmed Elomar, 29, will have the charges against him upgraded after video footage surfaced of him allegedly hitting a police officer with a flag pole.

The father-of-three had been charged with affray following the protest last Saturday in which Islamic demonstrators clashed with police.

He was refused bail in a court hearing on Tuesday and police today said that he would now face more serious charges for the alleged assault after officers received footage of the incident.

The ninth person was arrested last night by Strike Force McAlister, which was established to identify those involved in the protest.

A 19-year-old man was arrested at a home in Belfield and charged with affray and throwing a missile at police.

"The allegation is that he obtained a bottle from someone else in the crowd and threw that bottle at the police and then retreated into the crowd," Superintendent Mark Walton said.

Superintendent Walton said police had received hours of footage from the protest and he did not rule out further arrests being made.