AUSTRALIAN MUSLIMS UNITE AGAINST ISRAEL

Australian Muslims unite against Israel (Stuff)
Australia's Sunni and Shia Muslims have formed a united front against Israel and declared their support for the Iranian-backed terrorist network Hezbollah.

The unity among the two Muslim sects, which have been at war with each other for centuries, comes as the nation's Jewish community accused top Shia spiritual leader Kamal Mousselmani of creating hatred towards Jews by calling Israel a "terrorist" state and expressing his allegiance to Hezbollah militants, The Australian reported today.

The federal government yesterday also accused Sheik Mousselmani of sending the wrong message to his followers through his adverse views on Israel.

Sunni Muslim leader and community spokesman Keysar Trad yesterday said his sect largely championed Sheik Mousselmani's support for Hezbollah (Party of God), which was revealed by The Weekend Australian.

"Sunnis outside of Lebanon, yes, they still have a great deal of respect for Hezbollah," he said.

But Mr Trad, who does not believe the Lebanese-based Hezbollah is a terrorist group, said Sunni Muslims in Lebanon were less inclined to back the terrorist organisation because of political differences with the Shi'ites.

"I don't believe that Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation," he said. "I agree with (Mousselmani) that the state of Israel has ... consistently engaged in acts of terror which have brought a great deal of pain to the poor Palestinian population and the Lebanese population." The new mufti of Australia, Sunni spiritual leader Fehmi Naji el-Imam, last year called Hezbollah militants "freedom fighters" during an anti-war rally in Melbourne. Sheik Fehmi's spokesman said yesterday the cleric could not be reached.

Hezbollah's military arm, the External Security Organisation, is a proscribed terrorist organisation in Australia, and supporting Hezbollah's political and military wings is illegal under UN counter-terrorist financing declarations.