A SELF-proclaimed Islamic sheik says he’s received death threats a day after taking to Facebook to defend slain terrorism suspect Numan Haider. Perth-based Junaid Thorne said he was on his way to a police station to report the threats and it would be interesting to see how officers responded. Mr Thorne has previously posted comments defending the Muslim men caught up in last week’s counter-terrorism raids across Sydney and Brisbane. He also claims via Facebook that 18-year-old Haider, who was shot dead after stabbing two police officers in Melbourne on Tuesday night, was “murdered in cold blood”. Mr Thorne questions why “deadly force was immediately used”. He also says he understands police raided Haider’s house while he was out with friends just hours before his death, so he “got mad and called up the local police station, questioning why his privacy had been violated ... and this led to an argument with them on the phone”. After police requested “or forced” a brief meeting, Haider told friends who tried to stop him “that he had nothing to hide or be afraid of”, Mr Thorne claims. Watch video Thorne speaks to media after reporting death threats against him. A PERTH Islamic college has been asked to allow students to wear plain clothes on public transport for fear of harassment or worse from people targeting Muslims, but hopes that won’t be necessary. Yahya Adel Ibrahim, the assistant principal at the college, has received letters from parents asking for their children to be allowed to change out of their school uniform before using public transport — simply because it has the word Islamic on it. He did not want to name the college out of concern for the students’ safety. The Imam said there was concern the students would be abused or assaulted, given Muslims had been targeted in several such incidents around the city recently. “There is fear that just because of the name Islam, a Muslim would be picked on or bullied or have obscenities yelled at them for no apparent reason,” he said. “These are things that are regular occurrences in the last week.” The students have not been given permission to wear plain clothes on buses and trains, but may if they are targeted. Mr Ibrahim said he condemned the abusive behaviour seen around Perth — including a woman having her hijab pulled off by a stranger at a shopping centre — which went against Australia’s inclusive ethos and lumped all Muslims in the same pot as terrorists. He said it’s understandable that current affairs may cause tension. “Nevertheless, it’s unacceptable that people who are completely innocent of the matter, have no idea why they are being picked on, are subjected to that,” he said. “Some people are angry and they have a right to be. I’m angry as well. “I’m angry that they use my faith and my identity and our culture to represent something that is foreign to it.” WA Premier Colin Barnett, who will meet with Muslim leaders early next week, said it was sad there was concern for the safety of the students. “I wish to reassure Muslim people living in Western Australia that Western Australia respects their faith, we respect their culture (and) their customs. “We do not want to see any form of racial or religious tension rise.” Mr Ibrahim said he was buoyed by those who had reached out to the college, with neighbours sending cards of support and flowers. Originally published as ‘Sheik’ reports death threats to WA Police
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 08:35:37 +0000
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