Australia’s most senior Muslim leader has said he won’t “repeat the mistake” of voting for Tony Abbott, and publicly advised the prime minister to “work in any field other than politics”.
The strong comments by the Grand Mufti Ibrahim Abu Mohammed come amid other signs of a serious breakdown in relations between the Abbott government and large elements of Australia’s Muslim communities, ahead of the expected announcement of new security legislation on Monday.
Abbott criticised the grand mufti on the Bolt Report last Sunday for suggesting it would be a political mistake to ban the Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir, saying his comments were “wrong-headed” and unhelpful.
Mohammed was interviewed on Friday for the online TV program, Spot Light, run by the Islamic production company OnePath Network.
Asked if he had any advice for the prime minister, the mufti said: “I respect the presence of Tony Abbott as a political leader of his party and I respect the Australian community’s choice in electing him.
“I personally elected him in the previous elections. But believe me, I will not repeat this mistake again,” he said.
“If there’s any advice to be given, then with my full respect to the Australian people in choosing him, and my full respect to his presence as prime minister … I would say: ‘Work in any field other than politics.’”
Tensions between the government and some Australian Muslim leaders have frayed over perceptions the prime minister’s latest push to widen security powers demonises their communities.
Nearly 100 Islamic clerics, activists and organisations released a petition on Thursday rejecting what they called “the Abbott government’s predictable use of Muslim affairs and the ‘terror threat’ to attempt to stabilise a fragile leadership and advance its own political agendas”.
“We unequivocally reject prime minister Abbott’s and his party members’ use of language that portrays Muslims and the Muslim community as a security threat,” the petition read.
“This narrative threatens social cohesion as it invites suspicion and ill-feeling from members of the broader community.”
Abbott will make a national security statement on Monday where he is expected to announce plans to strip dual citizens convicted of terror offences of their Australian citizenship.
He has also promised to “crack down on Hizb ut-Tahrir and others who nurture extremism in our suburbs”.
Hizb ut-Tahrir has about 300 members and campaigns to create an Islamic state. It has distanced itself from Isis and declared its opposition to violent political change.
The prime minister’s office has been contacted for comment.
