Some of Australia’s most influential religious leaders have come together to urge Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to pause his hate speech reforms drawn up in response to the Bondi massacre, warning about unintended consequences for freedom of religious expression.
Echoing the concerns of Liberal MPs including Andrew Hastie, Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher, Anglican Archbishop Kanishka Raffel, Anglican South Sydney Bishop Michael Stead and president of the Australian National Imams Council Shadi Alsuleiman co-signed a letter on Friday arguing the attempt to crack down on antisemitic Islamist hate preachers might also threaten reasonable religious discourse.
NSW Premier Chris Minns, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Rabbi Benjamin Elton listen to Sydney Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher at an interfaith ceremony in Sydney, days after the Bondi massacre.Credit: AAP
“Religious freedom includes the right of individuals and communities to teach, preach, and express their beliefs openly and publicly, including through sermons, religious education, pastoral guidance, and moral commentary, even where those beliefs may be contested, unpopular, or misunderstood,” said the letter, sent by Stead on behalf of Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist and Scientology groups.
“Provided such expression does not incite physical harm or violence, it must be protected as a legitimate exercise of religious practice.
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“Legislation of this breadth and sensitivity requires careful deliberation and meaningful consultation. A rushed legislative process of this nature undermines confidence, increases the risk of unintended consequences, and does not assist community unity or social cohesion.“
The letter is the most substantial intervention into the debate about the hate speech laws from religious organisations, and gains extra heft from the contribution of Archbishop Fisher, a confidante of the prime minister.
No Jewish groups signed the letter, which acknowledged the need to act decisively after Bondi but warned against overreach.
In response to the Bondi massacre, the government developed new anti-vilification laws that would prohibit the promotion of hatred against a person because of their ethnic origin or race.
