Mossad conspiracy theory can be added to the lies about Jews and October 7 and 9/11

When mainstream Australian Muslim cleric Sheik Ibrahim Dadoun claims that Mossad is behind the current wave of anti-Semitic hatred in our cities, you know our Muslim community leaders are getting desperate (“ ‘Mossad behind anti-Israel surge’ ”, 24/2). After all, they have to do something to counter the most recent horrific worldwide media image of gloating Hamas terrorists as they exchanged the dead bodies of two innocent Jewish children held hostage since October 7.

Dadoun is simply adopting the same conspiracy theory-based propaganda tactics as the Hamas terrorists who falsely claimed that it was Israeli bombs that killed the two children rather than the truth, that they were killed by their captors’ bare hands.

We can only hope that our publicly funded broadcaster, the ABC, does not give airtime to this despicable smear by a member of Australia’s mainstream Islamic community on the people of Israel in our country.

John Bell, Heidelberg Heights, Vic

The suggestion by a supposedly mainstream Muslim community leader, cleric Sheik Ibrahim Dadoun, that Mossad fabricated the anti-Semitic attacks in Sydney is reminiscent of another warped conspiracy theory when the Jews were blamed for organising the 9/11 attack on New York’s World Trade Centre.

As the head of ASIO, Mike Burgess, said last week, anti-Semitism is a form of hate that defies logic, is un-Australian and is likely to get worse.

John Kempler, Rose Bay, NSW

Humility of Francis

Greg Sheridan has given us a fine overview of what Pope Francis is living out in his role as Pope (“Prayers for a good man who walked in shadow of giants”, 24/2). What Sheridan termed “synodality” I would term as Francis understanding the role of primacy as it applies to the Chair of St Peter. Francis is first and foremost the Bishop of Rome as elected in a conclave of fellow bishops nearly 15 years ago. Francis stepped completely outside the shadows of John Paul II and Benedict XVI by subjecting his primacy to the synodality of the bishops of all the dioceses of the universal church. He has held back on many issues such as female deacons, female priestly ordination and married priests. His papacy is not like his two predecessors in that he is not a “command and follow” pope. He moves when the church moves on key issues. He is prepared to suffer in silence while he waits for other bishops. This requires true humility and mercy. In this he is striding well ahead of previous shadows and he stands clearly as a guiding light for the rest of us in a time of great debate and competition for the public space.

Vincent Hodge, Paddington, Qld

End cultural relativism

The words of Gemma Tognini linger. What’s worse, so do her images (“Hamas pulled the trigger but world loaded the gun” 22-23/2). And indeed, as she says, this is no time to tread lightly. Rather, it is time to be blunt. Time to shed our ideologically imposed cultural relativism and speak the truth. It is time for a Kfir revolution. For it is a simple reality that our Judeo-Christian culture is built on the back of the Jewish moral code. Their respect for individual life, justice, knowledge, debate, tolerance and freedom not only underpins our society, it is the very engine room of the West. It is what makes our societies freer, fairer, more just, less corrupt and more developed than so many across the Middle East and Africa.

In contrast, the Muslim world is not a tolerant place. It is not a place of debate, diversity or democracy. It might like the benefits of the West but it does not like its soul. It is a world where many would avert their eyes to the slaughter of innocents, while some even celebrate it as legitimate, righteous.

The silence of most of the Muslim world after the October massacre and throughout the subsequent anti-Semitic attacks, along with their immediate support for the Bankstown pair, speaks to the fear that many hold. That there is no moderate Islam. Only reticent Islam. Perhaps the nurses simply got caught saying the rude bits out loud.

Jane Bieger, Mount Lawley, WA

Rebates and inflation

Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock should be watching with interest the machinations of the Albanese government as it once again artificially reduces inflation, this time using healthcare.

Governor Bullock reduced interest rates to 4.1 per cent last week, without once mentioning rebates on electricity or childcare, and now we are facing another artificial inflation reduction in healthcare.

The really crazy aspect of Albanese rebating all these costs is Australia is doing it with taxpayers’ money, saying inflation is going down when it may well be going up, but who knows?

Paul Haege, Darling Point, NSW