Christians Awake! Sunday, 1st February, 2004 Readers are well aware of two Christian pastors on trial in Melbourne after discussing Islam in a church. So far their legal fees have cost them $100,000. The complaint made against Catch the Fire Ministries by the Islamic Council will recommence Thursday 12 February 2004. The court case has now gone over 20 days.

The witnesses for the Islamic Council have been cross examined. Now the witnesses for Catch the Fire Ministries will be cross examined.

Because the Victorian Anti-vilification legislation is scheduled to be brought before the NSW Parliament, it is important for Christians to be awake. The Victorian Equal Opportunity Commission is accused of causing more religious strife than it solves. It is also accused of killing free speech in Australia.

Andrew Bolt, Melbourne journalist, ("Let us all pray" 14 Nov, 2003, Herald Sun), says Ms Diane Sisely, the EOC boss, had not found the many Muslim-hating racists. Bolt says, "The Bracks Government, in an appalling attack on free speech, had passed its new racial and religious vilification laws, under which people could be jailed for speaking their minds. But what did she find? Peace and tolerance, according to the figures in her annual report, rather than the "dramatic levels" of hatred she'd warned of. In fact, the EOC in the 12 months to June last year logged just five complaints of religious vilification in the entire state, covering all faiths and none."

"So her staff taught nearly 10,000 Victorians, particularly Muslims and Arabs, about our discrimination and vilification laws - and how to complain to her office. It seemed the EOC wanted more complaints. Last year, Sisely hired May Helou, the head of the Islamic Council of Victoria's support groups for women and for Muslim converts to make sure "people from Arabic and Muslim communities are aware of their rights under anti-discrimination laws" and offer "support to people wishing to make a complaint"."

It now appears the Equal Opportunities Council now does not resolve complaints, but incites them. At the Islamic Council headquarters, Helou alerted several Muslim converts to a seminar on jihad to be run by a Melbourne Pentecostal church, Catch the Fire Ministries.

One of the converts, Jan Jackson, said Helou asked her to go, and even rang her at home at 8.30 on the morning of the seminar to again ask: "Can you please go?" Another convert, Malcolm Thomas, now the Islamic Council's secretary, told VCAT that Helou asked him to attend, too. A third, Yusuf Eades, was also asked.

And so Catch the Fire - unknown to its leader, Pastor Danny Nalliah, and its speaker, Pastor Daniel Scot - had among the 250 Christians at its seminar Muslims, sent by Helou seemingly ready to feel vilified.

Pastor Scot, is a Pakistani who had faced a death sentence in Muslim Pakistan for being a Christian, and had lived in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. He was not only familiar with Muslim countries, but had read the Koran many times. As he talked, he cited passages in the Koran and Hadith that he said radical clerics used to justify armed jihad, looting, the killing of converts from Islam, the rape of captive women, lying for the faith and more. When Scot finished, one of the converts, Thomas, stood and asked: how should Christians respond? "Pray," Scot replied. "Muslims should be loved".

The Muslim converts said they felt vilified and met Helou at the EOC to complain about the pastors. If Helou and her colleague hadn't asked the converts to monitor the seminar, no Muslims would have been there to feel offended or frightened. Now the EOC staff member who incited this complaint, had to act as the neutral "umpire" in conciliation talks between the converts and pastors.

The EOC conciliation talks failed, and Pastor Nalliah and Pastor Scot must now defend their right to free speech in a VCAT hearing that has dragged on for months.

In the last two days of the hearing in December, Dr A K Kazi, originally form Pakistan and formerly an Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne, continued to be cross examined.

We pray for this important test case, and we alert all Christian organisations to what might soon be happening in NSW.

In the NSW Parliament, I asked for a special computer desk to be built for me just near Fred Nile's seat, so I could prepare speeches, examine legislation and because I wanted to try something new for any Parliament in Australia.

I remain in Parliament (unlike most members who are absent except for Question Time) while it is sitting. But through my computer, any one can e-mail me on the issues being discussed, or on issues like this one about which they are concerned. I reply from the Parliament itself. I have now received over two thousand e-mails, many giving me your opinion. I am the only one doing this, and if you want to have direct input to a member of the Legislative Council, all you need do is send a brief message to gordon.moyes[at]parliament.nsw.gov.au

I will read it, keep note of what you desire, and seek to cast my vote and speeches according to your wish. Ours is not only a Christian Party, but a Christian Democratic Party designed to represent the voice of our constituents. We are the only Party where citizens can have a direct voice right into the voting chamber!

Christians are rightly concerned over these trends in society, but this is one way of making your voice heard. Another is to campaign for Citizen Initiated Referenda legislation. In Queensland the prospect of Queensland becoming the first Australian state using citizen initiated referenda (CIR)

is sending tremors through the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations, and others desiring anti-vilification legislation, as they realise that the voice of the people can be tremendously powerful. If 2.5% of the voters in 40 Qld electorates, request it, a referendum must be held according to their proposed legislation. We could well do with this in NSW. What do you think?

Christians need to be awake, not just to dangers facing us, but the opportunities.

REV DOC THE HON. GORDON MOYES. A.C., M.L.C.. gordon.moyes[at]parliament.nsw.gov.au