Andrew Bolt launches brutal attack on Waleed Aly

NEWS Corp columnist Andrew Bolt has launched a savage attack on one of the most popular men on Australian television.

Waleed Aly and wife Susan Carland at the Logies. Picture: JOE CASTRO

NEWS Corp columnist Andrew Bolt has launched a savage attack on one of the most popular and controversial men on Australian television.

The conservative commentator has taken aim at The Project host Waleed Aly, describing him as Australia's most prominent Muslim apologist.

Aly, of course, is better known as the Gold Logie winning presenter - and recently changed Australian shopping habits when he took on the dairy processing giants over milk.

In a column headlined Where's Waleed Aly?, Bolt, billed as Australia's most read columnist, talks about Aly host having dinner with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at Kirribilli House to mark the end of Ramadan.

"He (Mr Turnbull) did this to win over Muslim voters and show the rest of us there's nothing to fear from Islam,'' he says in the piece.

"In fact, it is now clear from Turnbull's dinner there is indeed something to fear.

"Look at the iconic photograph from Turnbull's dinner - of the Prime Minister at the top table, flanked by his most prized guests.

"From the left, there was Waleed Aly, the Channel 10 TV host, Gold Logie winner, Monash University terrorism lecturer, Australia Council board member and ABC star.

Waleed Aly's incoherent response to Orlando and cowardly silence on Australia's Islamic hate preachers. https://t.co/s7THYRiuzZ via @YouTube

— Brian Bellia (@BrianBellia) June 22, 2016

"Next to him was his wife, academic Susan Carland, also an occasional ABC presenter. Then, on Turnbull's right, sat Yassmin Abdel-Magied, self-declared Islamic youth advocate and yet another ABC favourite.

"These were the people Turnbull wanted to showcase as the authentic and reassuring face of Muslim Australia.

"Now, also at the dinner, but out of shot, was Sheik Shady Al-Suleiman, national president of the National Council of Imams. This man - not Turnbull's top table guests - represents Islam as it is actually taught here by many imams.

"But as it turned out, the sheik has in his sermons vilified Jews, called on God to help "destroy the enemies of Islam", declared the punishment for adulterers "is stoning to death", damned Christmas parties as "worship of Satan" and accused gays of "spreading all these diseases" through "evil actions that bring evil outcomes to our society".

"Those are not the views of some lone preacher, as the embarrassed Turnbull later claimed. These are the views of the head of the council representing Muslim preachers in Australia."

COUNTER VIEW: Why should Muslims have to defend themselves

Bolt then goes on to condemn the failure of Muslims, including Waleed Aly, to address attacks on gays and terrorism acts in their public commentary.

"No Muslim in Australia has a bigger media voice than Waleed Aly, and he uses it to promote global warming, refugees and other causes that please the Left.

"He also uses it to deflect criticism from Islam after Islamist attacks."

Bolt's commentary is sure to strike a chord with conservative voters, including those who believe the media has underplayed the role of Islam in terrorism attacks.

His critics, however, will no doubt accuse him, however, of unfairly branding all Muslims for the actions of a minority.

OMG. Thanks Andrew Bolt for wanting Waleed to comment on every Muslim issue ever. This pic is AMAZING! #whereswaleed pic.twitter.com/G7SPbjAvrf

— Sam Drummond (@samdrummond) June 22, 2016

WHAT do you think? Is Andrew Bolt right? Or his attack way over the top?

Originally published as Andrew Bolt launches brutal attack on Waleed Aly