Last month, the City of Canterbury Bankstown council<\/a> moved to close an \u201cillegal\u201d Islamic prayer hall associated with the controversial cleric Wisam Haddad, which has come under renewed scrutiny since the Bondi massacre.<\/p>\nA review of records dating back to 1970 revealed the centre never had approval to operate as a prayer hall and was only recently being approved to operate as a medical centre, the council said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Media reports have claimed Naveed Akram, the alleged Bondi beach gunman, was a follower of a Dawah preaching movement Haddad led.<\/p>\n
However, a lawyer for Haddad said he \u201cvehemently denies any knowledge of or involvement in the shootings that took place at Bondi beach\u201d.<\/p>\n
Minns insisted the new powers were necessary to deal with hate speech being preached behind closed doors but also said councils would not be required to be arbiters of what was hate speech.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis reform is aimed squarely at shutting down \u2018factories of hate\u2019 \u2013 places that operate unlawfully while promoting hatred, intimidation or division within the community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese reforms give councils real powers to act when premises are operating unlawfully and spreading division.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is about protecting social cohesion, keeping communities safe and upholding the values that unite us as Australians.\u201d<\/p>\n
The premier denied the new laws could impact prayer meetings in people\u2019s homes or a study or Bible group.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wouldn\u2019t apply,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Rather he said the new laws were aimed at sending a clear message that councils and the federal and state governments were not condoning hate speech in the community by allowing illegal prayer halls to stay open.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should take it as read that they\u2019re trying to divide our community and they\u2019re trying to put hate in someone\u2019s heart, and we should confront it where we see it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Although councils will now need to consult NSW police on \u201ccommunity safety matters\u201d before granting a development consent for a religious premises, Minns insisted the police would not have a veto power on whether a new religious premises should be approved.<\/p>\n
Civil liberties organisations raised concerns about the potential for the reforms to infringe freedom of religion.<\/p>\n
Timothy Roberts, the president of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, said the council was \u201cvery concerned about empowering councils to make decisions infringing on freedom of speech\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cCouncils already have a lot to do,\u201d he said. \u201cThey are 100% ill-equipped for this role and it will rely on community members informing on each other. Where does this stop?\u201d.<\/p>\n
The acting opposition leader, Natalie Ward, accused the premier of \u201cchasing a headline\u201d and not providing a comprehensive solution to the rising tide of antisemitism in Australia, which she said had been obvious for two years.<\/p>\n
She said the government had refused to support opposition amendments to recent hate speech laws that were passed before Christmas.<\/p>\n
On Monday Minns also foreshadowed more legislative measures to deal with hate speech in the near future.<\/p>\n
Submissions to a NSW parliamentary inquiry looking at banning<\/a> slogans likely to incite hatred close on Monday.<\/p>\nThere will be no public hearings before the committee reports by 31 January.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
#NSW #councils #powers #shut #factories #hate #Minns #targets #unlawful #places #worship #South #Wales<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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