LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY crazyjane13)

Some potentially good news for a change ...

For those who may not be aware, in Victoria we have something called the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act, which basically acts to protect people from being vilified on the basis of either ethnicity, race or religious belief (or lack thereof). The first case to be brought under this Act has finally been resolved.

The case was brought by the Islamic Council of Victoria against Nalliah and a colleague (Scot), who work for Catch the Fire Ministries (an Assemblies of God-affiliated organisation). Nalliah is also a political candidate in the Family First party. Unsurprisingly, the message Nalliah and his colleague were pushing was a fairly standard "Islam-is-violent-and-will-conquer-the-world, arise good Christians" diatribe. (Nalliah's notorious for this kind of rhetoric. He's been known to publicly advocate burning down Hindu temples, mosques, and places where "witches and lesbians" meet.)

The ICV case has been hung up for nearly 4 years - the initial decision against CFM Ministries was appealed, and reviewed, and appealed again. Finally, a settlement has been reached, and a joint statement was issued. It remains to be seen whether there will be any knock-on effects from this decision.


Issued by: Clare O'Dwyer, VCAT Media Liaison
m. 0407 557 100 e. clare.o'dwyer@...
www.vcat.vic.gov.au

VCAT Media Release Human Rights Division
- Anti Discrimination List –

VCAT Ref: A392/2002
Friday 22nd June 2007

Joint Statement of the Islamic Council of Victoria Inc., Catch The Fire Ministries Inc., Daniel Nalliah and Daniel Scot The Islamic Council of Victoria (the ICV) has reached an agreement with Catch the Fire Ministries, Pastor Daniel Scot and Pastor Daniel Nalliah about the complaint the ICV brought in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), concerning what it alleged were acts of religious vilification in contravention of s 8 of the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 (Vic). Although some of the terms of that agreement are confidential, the parties have agreed to make this joint public statement.

Notwithstanding their differing views about the merits of the complaint made by the ICV, each of the ICV, Catch The Fire Ministries, Pastor Scot and Pastor Nalliah affirm and recognise the following:

1) the dignity and worth of every human being, irrespective of their religious faith, or the absence of religious faith;

2) the rights of each other, their communities, and all persons, to adhere to and express their own religious beliefs and to conduct their lives consistently with those beliefs;

3) the rights of each other, their communities and all persons, within the limits provided for by law, to robustly debate religion, including the right to criticise the religious belief of another, in a free, open and democratic society;

4) the value of friendship, respect and co-operation between Christians, Muslims and all people of other faiths; and

5) the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act forms part of the law of Victoria to which the rights referred to in paragraph 3 above are subject.


(Note : the comment about some terms of the settlement being confidential tends to refer, in these Religious Tolerance cases, to monetary settlement for the purposes of covering court costs from the aggrieved party.)