Christchurch Mosque Attacks: Australian MP – ‘We must acknowledge that an Australian terrorist committed these atrocities’

Originally Posted by The Spinoff

Australia’s shadow minister for multicultural affairs has made a statement to the Australian parliament calling for reflection and action on the attacks on the Christchurch mosque.

Andrew Giles, opposition spokesman for multicultural issues in Australia, has asked his compatriots to pay attention to the Royal Commission on the terrorist attacks on the Christchurch mosque that were unveiled yesterday.

In a statement to the Australian Parliament in Canberra yesterday afternoon, he said his compatriots should recognize that the terrorist was Australian and take action on their own.

The terrorist, who was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in August on 92 counts of terrorism, murder and attempted murder, moved from Australia to New Zealand in 2017.

The report describes the man who committed the atrocity in the following terms: “The individual is a white Australian male who was 28 years old in March 2019. He displayed racist behavior from a young age. His life experiences appear to have fueled resentment and he radicalized and formed far-right views about people he considered a threat. Eventually, he moved toward violence. “

In the statement, provided to The Spinoff by Giles, he said: “New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern released the findings of the Royal Commission on the terrorist attacks on Christchurch mosques recently.”

“Prime Minister Ardern delivered an apology to all those affected and acknowledged that an apology is not enough, committing to implement the 44 recommendations.

“Australia must also do more than offer its condolences. We must acknowledge that an Australian terrorist committed these atrocities, an Australian who became radicalized here on our soil.”

He added: “In this place, we are charged with keeping all Australians safe. It pains me to read in the report that New Zealand Muslims felt unsafe prior to the killings. We must recognize that Australia is not immune from terrorist attacks by native extremists. right.

“This must be a call to action. Say no to hatred and acknowledge the serious threat posed by right-wing extremism. The report also concludes and I quote: ‘Efforts to build social cohesion, inclusion and diversity can contribute to prevent or counteract extremism. ‘And that’ having a cohesive, inclusive society that embraces diversity is a good in itself. ‘Powerful words that we in Australia must also reflect on and commit to ”.

Writing for The Spinoff, Anjum Rahman, a leading voice within New Zealand’s Muslim community, noted that the Royal Commission’s terms of reference “restricted commissioners from looking beyond the New Zealand government. The terrorist He grew up in Australia, that’s where he shaped his thinking and that’s the society that shaped it.

“It is incumbent on the Australian government to carry out its own investigation into what could and should have been done to make sure it had the kind of support that could have stopped its path to radicalization and terrorism.”

He added: “There were multiple incidents and points where that support should have been provided. There may have been points where his activities should have raised concerns. He had not been ‘identified’ by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, but we must know if it should have been. Only the Australian government can initiate an investigation to answer that question. “

Speaking to the media yesterday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she would raise the report’s findings with her Tasmanian counterpart Scott Morrison.

“I will certainly point out to Prime Minister Morrison the elements of the report that cover his system. And I have no doubt that our agencies will also have information to share,” he said.