Thousands call for ABC to sack TV host over ‘pro sharia law’ comments

THOUSANDS of Australians are calling for an ABC presenter to be sacked over “pro sharia law” comments broadcast on the network’s Q & A program.

THE ABC has revealed it will not sack Muslim youth activist Yassmin Abdul-Magied despite more than 15,000 signatures “to publicly condemn and fire” her over pro sharia Law comments.

Ms Abdel-Magied, 25, polarised audiences when she defended her Islamic faith in response to senator Jacqui Lambie’s comments that Australia should “deport all Muslims who support sharia law” on the network’s live Q & A program on February 13.

“People talk about Islam without knowing anything about it, and they’re willing to negate any of my rights as a human being, as a woman, as a person with agency, simply because they have an ‘idea’ of what my faith is about,” Ms Abdel-Magied told Ms Lambie.

“Islam to me is the most feminist religion: we got equal rights well before the Europeans. We don’t take our husbands’ last names because we aren’t their property. We were given the right to own land ... The fact is, in sharia it says you follow the law of the land you are on.”

More than 15,000 people have signed a change.org petition calling for the ABC to sack Ms Abdel-Magied from her role a host on the ABC’s Saturday morning program Australia Wide, on News 24. News.com.au has contacted Ms Abdel-Magied for comment.

Yassmin Abdel-Magied, host Tony Jones and Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie on the Q & A panel.

The petition was created by right-wing group, AltCon News, which accused Ms Abdel-Magied of advocating for Islamic faith courts in Australia. The group alleged Ms Abdel-Magied was “blatantly lying to the public about the merits of sharia law and the oppressive impact it has on non-Muslim groups, homosexuals and women”.

The ABC will not fire Ms Abdel-Magied in relation to the Q & A episode and subsequent fallout, an ABC spokesman told news.com.au.

“In addition to her ABC role, Yassmin Abdel-Magied engages in a number of other activities in her capacity as a writer, commentator and engineer, the spokesman said.

“We stand by her right to appear on Q & A and share with the wider community her personal views in this capacity. As we stated last week: ‘Q & A is designed to provide a forum for opposing viewpoints to be robustly discussed and debated. Some viewpoints aired may challenge the audience some of the time, especially when controversial and emotive issues are being discussed, but Q & A never sets out to gratuitously offend’.”

Meanwhile, the number of signatures on the petition continues to climb.

“As Yassmin Abdul-Magied made these comments on the tax payer funded QandA program, and as she is a regularly paid commentator on the tax payer funded network, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation needs to reassure the tax paying public that they condemn her rhetoric and that Australians obey one set of laws, that no religious law is higher than the law of the land and that her blatant lies about this law will not be tolerated or funded by the Australian tax payers,” the petition reads.

“The ALTCON team feel that it is very important to note that we are avid supporters of free speech and Yassmin Abdul-Magied’s right to say what she said, but NOT her right to spew this Pro-sharia Propaganda while she is a taxpayer funded ABC presenter.”

The petition was a retort to another petition launched by Muslim leaders who supported Ms Abdel-Magied, which has so far received just under 2,500 signatures.

Hizb ut-tahrir spokesman Wassim Doureihi described Ms Abdel-Magied’s comments as “indeed problematic”.

In response, Ms Abdel-Magied, a Sudanese born writer and founder of Youth Without Borders, sought advice from Mr Doureihi on Facebook three days after the program was broadcast.

“Salams! Well, I am always happy to take feedback. What specifically was problematic and how can I do better in the future inshallah?,’ Ms Abdel-Magied asked.

News Corp Australia columnist Rita Panahi. Picture: Peter Brew-Bevan.

ABC TV host and Youth Without Borders founder, Yassmin Abdel-Magied.

News Corp columnist Rita Panahi said she was “scolded” on air by ABC host Rafael Epstein for not supporting Ms Abdel-Magied, who she described as“an Islamic activist advocating for sharia law”.

“ABC radio drive host Rafael Epstein had the gall to admonish me, a migrant who escaped a country under Islamic law, for not supporting an advocate of Islamic law,” Ms Panahi wrote.

“It’s akin to a freed slave being criticised for a fear of slavery and reluctance to support slavery advocates.”

Originally published as Thousands call for ABC to sack TV host over ‘pro sharia law’ comments