Avi Yemini to speak in Washington DC

Controversial right wing activist Avi Yemini’s campaign against radical Islam has been boosted after he accepted an invitation to address a forum on Capitol Hill.

ALA's Avi Yemini speaks at a rally on Saturday. Picture: AAP Image/James Ross

Controversial right wing activist Avi Yemini will take his message against radical Islam to Capitol Hill after he accepted an invitation to speak at a free-speech forum in Washington DC.

Mr Yemini, an Australian Liberty Alliance candidate for the Southern Metropolitan region, will jet to the US tonight where he is expected to join a string of conservative advocates for the Middle East Forum highlighting censorship issues.

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Mr Yemini has drawn wide criticism for his polarising views on the subject — and was behind a rally in Melbourne’s CBD just 24 hours after the lone wolf terror attack on Friday.

He said the US visit would be an opportunity to highlight how American censorship was being mirrored in Australia.

“The more you try and censor reasonable conversation about the threat of Islam, the more you send people underground and play into the hands of extremists from all sides,” Mr Yemini told the Herald Sun.

Mr Yemini at a rally in Melbourne. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

He said the latest attack in Melbourne demonstrated the need to have open and robust discussion about Islam and its place in Australia.

“These conversations are uncomfortable but absolutely necessary,” he said.

“They try to demonise me for criticising Islam but as we have seen on Friday — everything I have been saying is true.”

Mr Yemini, who patrolled the Gaza border as a soldier in the Israeli Defence Force, has faced fierce criticism for his views on immigration and crime.

Last week, he questioned how Pakistani-born Muslim senator Mehreen Faruqi could campaign against animal cruelty following the death of a runner in the Melbourne Cup, yet fail to condemn halal slaughter practices.

Earlier this year, Facebook closed down one of Mr Yemini’s social media pages for alleged hate speech, claims he denied.

The US forum will feature panellist Tommy Robinson, co-founder of the English Defence League, Canadian conservative Ezra Levant and Republican congressman Paul Gosar.