Andrew Bolt reveals ”string of death threats”
Andrew Bolt has been forced to move his children to another home after threats from an alleged supporter of IS.
Andrew Bolt has been forced to move his children to another home after receiving “a string of death threats” from an alleged supporter of Islamic State.
In an interview on his Sky News program with One Nation spokeswoman Pauline Hanson, the conservative commentator revealed the lives of his family had been threatened yesterday, forcing him to move his children to keep them safe.
“I spent some of my day moving my kids out of my home after yet another death threat from an islamist supporter of the Islamic state,” he said. “It’s been a very stressful day.”
Revelations of a threat come less than 24 hours after Mr Bolt wrote about Australia’s Grand Mufti, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammad in his regular newspaper column.
“The Grand Mufti of Australia has just proved that Pauline Hanson is right to feel threatened by Islam in this country,” he wrote in Melbourne’s Herald Sun. He criticised the Mufti for warning in an open letter that criticism of anti-gay comments by Sheik Shady Alsuleiman risks inciting Islamic extremism.
“Again and again, whether the Mufti means this or not, the clear inference is that if we criticise Islam or his clerics we risk death,” he wrote.
“What free society can tolerate such an implied threat or danger? How can the Mufti not see that the true responsibility for Islamist terrorism lies not with the victims but with the perpetrators — and with the faith which seems to licence them to mass murder?”
Mr Bolt revealed the threat while speaking to divisive senator-elect Ms Hanson, who has also borne the brunt of criticism for her comments about Islam. Earlier this week, Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane warned Ms Hanson’s inflammatory rhetoric could lead to xenophobia and violence.
Mr Bolt slammed Mr Soutphommasane for his “double standards”.
“Two of my colleagues have had to move house completely, and Tim Soutphommasane, if he’s really worried about hate preachers, why doesn’t he say something about these hate preachers instead of attacking you?” he said. “I feel this very strongly these double standards.”
Mr Bolt confirmed to The Australian had recently received “a string of death threats”.
“Let us just say that the race discrimination commissioner and all like him should get on the case of the real hate preachers who cause Australians to fear for their safety,” he said. “And they sure don’t include Pauline Hanson.”
Ms Hanson defended her views on Mr Bolt’s program, saying Sheik Alsuleiman is far more extreme than her. “I see a hypocrite who’s prepared to go at me. I’ve never incited hatred to the extent what this Imam has said,” she said. “Not any of these people. I cannot understand why the discrimination commissioner has not jumped on this or anyone else. Why do they always want to attack me?”
