Politics

It Seems Like Everyone But Malcolm Turnbull Is Slamming Jim Molan For Sharing Anti-Muslim Posts

Meanwhile, Malcolm Turnbull spent "Safer Internet Day" defending Molan's posts.

by Sam Langford  7 February 2018
jim molan malcolm turnbull

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Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane and the husband of murdered British politician Jo Cox have added their voices to the growing criticism of new Liberal senator Jim Molan for sharing anti-Muslim propaganda from fascist organisation Britain First on Facebook.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of this country continues to defend Molan, opting to push a complicated (read: nonsensical) take that it’s somehow not racist or harmful because Molan once fought in the Middle East?

This morning Soutphommasane used his platform as Race Discrimination Commissioner to make it very clear that this is not the case. He told The Guardian that videos by Britain First, a far-right UK political group, are “not something you want to endorse”, and pointedly noted that “those in public life must do nothing to promote prejudice, bigotry or hatred”.

Brendan Cox, the widower of UK politician Jo Cox, who was murdered by a man yelling “Britain first”, also called for those who share the group’s content to be held accountable for their actions.

“Those who excuse and encourage the hatred of Britain First and their ilk are doing the work of the terrorists for them,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald this morning. “Elected politicians cannot claim ignorance and must not be allowed to walk away from the effects of their actions.”

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Molan himself has refused to apologise for the posts, saying only that he should have cleaned up his social media prior to taking public office. It has since come to light that Molan previously shared even more anti-Muslim content on his Twitter account, including a racist joke that read “Exam. I was asked to name two things commonly found in cells. Apparently ‘young Muslims’ and ‘Somalians’ were not the correct answers”.

And still, no condemnation from our Prime Minister. In fact, Malcolm Turnbull spent yesterday promoting “#SaferInternetDay”, slamming online bullying while…continuing to defend his own party members sharing anti-Muslim propaganda. You can’t make this shit up.