Former asylum seeker hits Israel and Labor in seat bid

Former Afghan asylum seeker Samim Moslih, backed by grassroots Muslim campaigns, aims to topple a Labor stronghold, Victoria’s Calwell seat, and calls Israel a ‘colonial project’.

A former asylum seeker from Melbourne’s outer north who is backed by grassroot Muslim political campaigns wants to see the end of “colonial” Israel and will look to topple Labor’s Palestinian-Australian candidate in Calwell at next year’s poll.

Samim Moslih will run against political staffer Basem Abdo, who has gained the support of key party Socialist Left figures, including veteran federal Labor MP Maria Vamvakinou, to succeed her in the seat of Calwell on her retirement next year.

Speaking exclusively with The Australian ahead of the campaign announcement on Thursday, Mr Moslih criticised some politicians who speak up against the rising anti-Semitism sweeping the nation, declaring “their words actually come out as Islamophobic’’.

Hoping to end Labor’s 23-year reign in the Muslim-strong seat of Calwell, the former government staffer will channel the same energy as rogue senator Fatima Payman, formerly Labor.

“Fatima Payman was a canary in the mines as far as our parliament’s concerned, and when she flapped her wings when it came to Palestine, rather than Labor listening they actually turned the guns on the canary ... but the canary was smart enough to fly away by herself,” Mr Moslih said.

The independent candidate is slated to garner the backing of the Muslim community for his advocacy on Palestine.

“It’s interesting that when politicians are talking about anti-Semitism, their actual words come out as Islamophobic,” he said. “When you have a Muslim school bus being burnt, there is nothing that is spoken about it, yet everyone is tripping over themselves to be able to show their support for the Jewish community in Australia.

“But the fact that the racism that is so entrenched in white Australia is something that has been holding us back immensely. More so for Muslims.”

“I do believe that despite all the difficulties that are in front of us at the moment, that we need to have a free Palestine from the river to the sea with a representative democracy. And that is a policy position for myself and for a lot of people that actually seek justice.”

Asked if that means ending the state of Israel, he said: “Genocide cannot be rewarded.”

He added: “Those who feel that they’re superior and they have an absolute racist mindset, as it happened in South Africa, they actually chose to go to areas where they felt more comfortable.

“So this is where we’re talking about a representative democracy that actually represents all people that live within Palestine, as it has happened before the colonialist project that is Israel.”

Mr Moslih arrived in Australia in 1986 as an asylum seeker from Afghanistan through Iran.

Asked if he will recommend preferencing Labor last, he said: “Just as Israel should not be rewarded for genocide, I don’t believe that Labor should be rewarded for supporting genocide

“They’re once again spruiking or trying to convey this message of care for the Palestinians, which I don’t think is going to be one that will hit the mark.”