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TWO prominent Australian Muslim leaders have clashed live on air during a fiery debate about extremism and Islam.
Appearing on Sunrise this morning, Dr Jamal Rifi and Imam Shaikh Mohammad Tawhidi condemned the terror attacks in Manchester which has claimed 22 lives.
Both leaders agreed the devastating act didn’t represent Islam, however this is where any common agreement ended.
Imam Tawhidi, dubbed by some “Australia’s fake sheikh”, said the reality was young people were getting radicalised, even in Australia, “because of the Islamic scriptures that we have.”
“They push the Muslim youth to believe that if you go out there and you kill the infidel that’s how you will gain paradise,” the Imam said.
When Kochie asked if Australia is being infested by radical clerics the Imam replied it wasn’t just clerics, but followers as well.
Using an example of an ISIS poster available for a few dollars in shops across Melbourne, the Imam said not enough was being done to stop extremist behavior.
He said stores openly selling these items were creating a jihadi atmosphere for youths.
But it was when Kochie asked if Muslim leaders were being vocal enough in condemning such attacks and behavior that Dr Rifi got fired up.
Dr Rifi, a Lebanese Muslim GP and prominent community leader, insisted Australia was a peaceful country and he had no idea where the Imam was getting his information from.
“First of all these scriptures existed for thousands of years, they didn’t incite violence or terror acts,” he said.
“It is an ideology of the so called Islamic State and Daesh and they are actually targeting young people who are impressionable.”