Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship Minister Nicholas Kotsiras has been forced to intervene in a Muslim conference, fearing state racial and religious vilification laws could be broken.
Organisers of the major Muslim conference in Melbourne this month have been warned they could face prosecution if laws are breached.
Mr Kotsiras has called Victorian Multicultural Commissioner Chin Tan to speak to organisers and said “Organisers of any event are responsible for the conduct of individuals or speakers (under the state Racial and Religious Tolerance Act).”
“I’ve asked him to explain to them that we live in a multicultural state and that our aim is to ensure that individuals, groups and communities are able to live in peace and harmony with each other,” he said.
Among the speakers is Dr Abdul Rahman al-Sudais, imam of one of Mecca’s holiest mosques, who has reportedly made anti-Semitic comments.