Terror on the rise

Minny Jackson I 11 December 2024 I Spectator Astyralia

Last Friday, a prominent Jewish synagogue in Melbourne’s southeast was set on fire in what is now agreed to be a likely terrorist attack. The blaze was so shocking to the community that Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has criticised the Australian federal government and its handling of rising antisemitism. The fire is believed to have started at about 4am, setting off three alarms. A witness has stated they saw two figures pouring liquid inside the building before it was set alight.

According to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, anti-Jewish incidents have increased by over 316 per cent, compared to the data taken a year prior to this estimate.

Several conservatives have been warning the Labor government of the rising threat of antisemitism occurring within Australia. Since the alleged stabbing of Assyrian Bishop, Mar Mari in April earlier this year, churchgoers have been increasingly vigilant about the threat of terrorism beginning to grow within the nation. Never Again is Now have been setting up several rallies in various states, in support of the Jewish community, in growing times of unrest, and today’s firebombing of a Victorian synagogue, only reiterates their point.

Organisations such as Christian Faith and Freedom, which is an advocacy group centred around stopping the persecution of Christians worldwide, have been giving similar warnings for several years. The Director of Advocacy has provided the following statement;

‘Christian persecution is coming to our shores here in Australia, and it has been escalating due to the conflict in the Middle East. Australians in the correct departments should be vetting any immigrants from the region very carefully to ensure our borders remain secure and violent ideologies are not disseminated. Recently, in Melbourne, I encountered stalls set up in the CBD, where free Qurans were being handed out to citizens. I believe Australians need to be educated about what is really advocated in some religious texts including the Quran, particularly at Sura 3:151 and 9:5.’

Many Australians appear to have no idea what is truly contained within the Quran, and are therefore startled by terrorist attacks when they occur ‘out of the blue’. Academics who have studied the Quranic text in detail have been attempting over many years, to warn Australians about radical interpretations. One of Australia’s leading scholars on the Quran and Islam and has been warning of rising terrorism for many years. Many of the issues with the Quranic text have been highlighted by Dr Durie within his submission to government into the Inquiry for the Review of the National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Bill 2017.

Although the suspects of the firebombing have not yet been identified as Islamic, there is a strong chance the perpetrators are sympathetic to the pro-Palestine cause. The firebombing in Melbourne was reportedly set when the building was due to be inhabited by several Jewish citizens. The attack has been described as a ‘violent act of antisemitism’ by government officials, and is now considered to be a ‘terrorist attack’. Several scrolls, Jewish literature and furniture have been destroyed.

Thankfully there have been no deaths, however unless the government fully cracks down on terrorism aimed at Jewish or other Christian communities, it is inevitable that violence will continue to ensue, and deaths may occur.

Author: Minny Jackson