An organiser of a national Islamic conference being held in
Melbourne says the portrayal of Islamic State barbarism is being used to
stir political fear.



Mustafa Abu Yusuf, a spokesman for the Ahlus Sunnah Wal
Jama'ah Association of Australia (ASWJ), claimed the actions of Islamic
State [also known as ISIL] were being "rammed down our throats" in a bid
to paint fundamentalist Muslims as potential terrorists and curb civil
freedoms.




But he also praised police who worked with the Muslim community on the ground.



Mr Abu Yusuf said he had not seen videos of the ISIL
beheadings posted on social media - although he called the act abhorrent
- but said the group's actions was "no more horrific" than those of
Western armies during war.



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He questioned why the Abbott government did not react with
equally fierce rhetoric when chemical warfare was used and human rights
abuses were committed in the Syrian civil war. 



"The beheadings, it's an abhorrent act, don't misunderstand
me. But what about the British in Malaya in the 1950s? They used to have
soldiers decapitate Malayan heads ... or what about the torture and
prisoner abuse by the Americans at Abu Ghraib prison?" he said.



Ahead of the launch of the three-day "Crossroads" conference,
expected to draw thousands of people to the Melbourne Convention
Centre, Mr Abu Yusuf rejected allegations that the ASWJ promoted
violence and extremism. 



The Crossroads conference has drawn attention for its list of
controversial keynote speakers, including Yvonne Ridley, a British
journalist who converted to Islam after she was kidnapped by the
Taliban. Ms Ridley is known for her outspoken views and is alleged to
have referred to suicide bombings as "martyrdom operations".



"The conference is being portrayed as a conversion of terror
and terror ideals," Mr Abu Yusuf said. "But Islam prohibits extremism in
all its forms - religious, financial or whatever the case may be.



"This is about building a focus on unifying rather than dividing Australia."



Mr Abu Yusuf said it had been a week of "blood lunacy" since
18-year-old terror suspect Numan Haider was shot dead by police in
Melbourne's south-east on Tuesday after slashing two officers with a
knife. 



"The police, the guys on the factory floor, had real concern
about the welfare of the boy's parents, as we were concerned about his
family, too," he said.



"It's the [political] leaders that are diving us and pushing our country down this path."



Mr Abu Yusuf said the conference, to be held until Sunday,
was organised with an aim of discussing social and cultural challenges
facing Muslim-Australian parents and young people.



"Everyone, including the white government that rules this
country, are all immigrants, and immigration has made this country
stronger," he said. "But with all this Team Australia rubbish, Abbott
must think most Australians are stupid. He has dumbed down our country
to us and them."



The launch of the conference attracted a crowd of about 200 people and many of the seats in the hall were empty.



Mr Abu Yusuf said attendance was down to about a quarter of
last year's capacity crowds, which he attributed to people being fearful
to travel into the city "because of all the hype and hysteria created
by the media and the government".



In his opening address, ASJW Emir Sheikh Abu Ayman expressed sympathy for the two policemen stabbed by Numan Haider on Tuesday.



"We don't like what [Haider] did and we don't like any crime
happening to Australia against the police or against anyone else," he
said.



He urged young Australian Muslims at the conference not to let tensions of the past week damage their views of Australia.  



"You are not the hopes of the Muslims only, you are the hope
and the future of Australia and you have to understand that very well,"
he said. 



With Craig Butt