Aussie senator in trouble over Facebook post promoting anti-Muslim values

A MILITARY expert and Liberal senator is defending himself after sharing controversial posts about Muslims on social media.

THE senior Australian military expert and Liberal senator who warned our military would soon be rendered useless is under fire for posting inflammatory anti-Muslim videos from notorious right-wing party Britain first.

It is the same group US President Donald Trump was condemned for promoting when he re-tweeting Islamophobic tweets from the far-right political organisation last month, before sensationally apologising.

But Jim Molan is not saying sorry, defending his right to share such content on the same day he was sworn into the senate.

“I’ve put my life on the line for Islamic countries ... for people to say this is racist I find deeply offensive,” he told the ABC.

Jim Molan is in trouble for sharing posts from far-right group Britain First, including one titled, “Muslim Thugs Beat Girl in Holland”.

The military expert is sworn into the Australian Senate today. Picture: Michael Masters

Mr Molan, a former major general in the Australian Army and well-known conservative, shared stories from alarming groups and identities including Britain First, with some articles discussing the prospect of banning Muslim immigration to Australia and highlighting Malcolm Turnbull’s poor polling results, calling for the Liberal party to “lurch to the right”.

Despite also posting controversial troll Milo Yiannopoulos’s call to ban St Patrick’s Day because of to “white privilege,” Mr Molan is copping backlash for sharing two of Britain First’s posts last March. The first, posted on March 12, is titled: “Muslim Thugs Beat Girl in Holland”. It shows a man punching and beating a woman on the street.

“Charming. And we’re meant to be tolerant, accepting and welcoming of this ‘breed’ in our country,” comments one Facebook follower.

“Unbelievable,” Mr Molan responds.

Senator Pauline Hanson congratulates Senator Jim Molan after being sworn in, in the Senate Chamber, Parliament House in Canberra.

The other shows a serious street scuffle allegedly between groups of Muslim men and French police. Both posts generated startling comments calling Muslims “disgusting apes”, “disgusting thugs” and “filth”.

But according to a spokesman, “the senator often posts material in order to generate debate. The sharing of any post does not indicate endorsement,” he told Fairfax Media.

Britain First has drawn opposition for its white nationalist policy. Founded by an evangelical minister, it is known for “Christian patrols” and “mosque invasions”.

.@Jim_Molan standing by his decision to post videos from Britain First last year. He tells @ElizaBorrello the videos are not racist - "I've put my life on the line for Islamic countries ... for people to say this is racist I find deeply offensive"

— Stephen Dziedzic (@stephendziedzic) February 5, 2018

Mr Molan was the chief of operations for coalition forces in Iraq and replaces former deputy Nationals leader Fiona Nash, who was forced out of the Upper House over the citizenship scandal.

After he quit the military, Mr Molan was the driving force behind the Abbott Government’s successful Operation Sovereign Borders, which stopped asylum seekers reaching the mainland.

He was sworn into the senate earlier today for New South Wales.

Originally published as Aussie senator in trouble over Facebook post promoting anti-Muslim values