Islamist influences on the advice provided Australian intelligence

Islamist influences on the advice  provided Australian intelligence

Australia's peak intelligence body, the Office Of National Assessments (ONA) , relies on briefings from Australian academics and  universities in the preparation of reports that are then used by the Australian Government in its decision making processes ( see http://www.ona.gov.au/aboutus.htm)

Naturally , terrorism ,in particular that which is perpetrated by Islamists , is now a major concern.
In that regard, it is useful to look at how the major Australian universities fund their research into Islam and the Middle East.

In January this year the Australian Government announced the establishment of a National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies which will amongst other things train imams. To receive funding from the Federal Government the Centre is required to adhere to objectives that  " will include that the Centre does not promote any organisations or teachings supportive of violence and terror"(see http://www.dest.gov.au/Ministers/Media/Bishop/2007/01/B003220107.asp) .

A consortium comprising the University of Western Sydney (UWS), Griffith University and the University of Melbourne will host the Centre.

All three university's have rather interesting Islamist credentials. 

The  UWS's Dr Ali Paul White has openly spoken   in support of Iran and HAMAS .
UWS administration has  granted  permission  to Hizb ut Tahrir to speak on campus against the state of Israel. A member of the public who attended the HT event and distributed material critical of   HT was evicted from campus. Recently this publicly funded  university was questioned about its provision of exclusive prayer and wash rooms for Muslims .The query sent its Vice Chancellor Carol Reid was met with a threat of legal action from its legal counsel, Mark Croucher.
A query sent Reid regarding the HT event was met with a similar threat from the university's administration. 

Griffith University's  Islamic  centre  recently revealed  links to  the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), which is currently under investigation for financing terrorism.
The centre announced with some pride that its latest PhD candidate was the  Distinguished Visiting Professor at Georgetown University, the  IIIT's  founder director,  Dr Anwar Ibrahim.( http://www3.griffith.edu.au/03/ertiki/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=7521)

Dr Anwar Ibrahim and other directors of the IIIT have taken the 5th Amendment against self-incrimination as a consequence of the  ongoing investigations into the IIIT's support for terrorism in the United States and elsewhere, including support for the recently convicted Dr Sami Al-Arian , who headed an Islamic think -tank at the University of  South Florida,Tampa , before being charged and convicted for supporting , financing and inciting terrorist activities  from the US in Palestine.

Al-Arian has  refused to testify against the IIIT, saying that his life would be in danger if he did so.( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/13/AR2006111301205.html ).

The   Centre will be headed by Professor Abdullah Saeed, the Sultan of Oman Professor of Arab and Islamic Studies and Head of the Asia Institute at the University of Melbourne.

Apart from these three , other major Australian universities also appear to be somewhat compromised.  In late March 2006  a delegation from the  Macquarie University   Centre for Middle  East and North African Studies  fundraising committee   met with several  Middle East ambassadors "to acquaint them with the work and plans of the Centre". Among those whom they met with were   the Ambassadors for Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the Charge d'Affairs  of Libya.
(http://www.mq.edu.au/mec/newsletter/i05/index.html#visit)
Readers can determine for themselves  from the Centre's website at  http://www.mq.edu.au/mec/  ,  if there is bias in the Centre's work. This writer will submit  however that when the works of Fisk, Pilger and likeminded persons are given prominence, the bias is rather obvious.

Another major centre for studies on Islam and Asia,  Monash University, in particular its Monash Asia Institute, also has rather colourful links.
Until recently the Centre's s faculty included  Dr Rahim Ghouse,  business associate of  the SDGT Shiek Yassin Al-Kadi. Ghouse had been appointed a research fellow sometime in 2002. In that year also, one Zulfikar Shariff, who would later work for Ghouse, and who had openly supported Osama bin Laden and his mentor Abdullah Azzam , was also appointed a research fellow, despite not having any  tertiary qualifications.
It was from his position at the Monash Asia Institute that  Zulfikar Shariff  commenced his attacks on journalists who were investigating the Al-Kadi linked USD 8 billion cash box, Commercial IBT Pty Ltd (see www.abc.net.au/rn/backgroundbriefing/stories/2006/1754286.htm)

The Centre's head, Dr Marika Vicziany was queried about  Zulfikar's actions but also chose to threaten this writer.
Dr Vicziany would later be referred to in emails from Dr Adrian Ong Chee Beng, CEO of Commercial IBT , as a person who could provide information in support of  what he regarded as the unfair and criminal "harassment" of Commercial IBT.

Apart from these and other Australian universities, the ONA also relies on briefings from its  counterparts in the region (the Malaysian and Indonesian governments, both of which are heavily influenced by Islamists,  are relied upon to provide objective advice that could be used to Australia’s advantage) and regional think tanks. These would include the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP).
CSCAP members include, from Malaysia,  one Mohamed Jawhar bin Hassan. http://www.cscap.org/member.htm. He was formerly Director (Analysis), of the  Research Division,Prime Minister's Department, Malaysia’s equivalent of the CIA.

Comments

[usinkorea]

Just came to your blog from another in the Korea blogsphere where I swim regularly...

I am very happy to find a great source of information I am interested in but is so far away from anything I have previous experience with...

One small correction, however, on this post....

"convicted Dr Sami Al-Arian , who headed an Islamic think -tank at the University of Florida"

That should be the U. of South Florida (in Tampa) --- not UF.....

[ganesh sahathevan]

thanks
i have now corrected the posting