Outside a Sydney court this morning, self-styled Sheikh Haron claimed his views were not being accurately represented.
Accordingly he and a female aide – who video-recorded the Sheikh’s long sermon to reporters on the steps of the court - handed out copies of the letter which is reproduced below.
He faced the Downing Centre Local Court today charged with sending harassing letters to the families of dead Australian soldiers.
Sheikh Haron – who was listed in the court as Man Monis – allegedly sent the letters over two years to the families of seven diggers who have died in Afghanistan.
One letter was addressed to a widow care of a funeral home, and he also allegedly accused some of the dead Australian soldiers of being “criminals”, “killers” and “murderers” fighting a war of invasion.
However he said to extract those words was misreporting, and takes him out of context.
When asked to apologise to the digger’s families, he did not answer the question but continued to preach the views outlined below, describing the letters as like sending condolence cards or flowers.
While he did not re-release the letters, he claims he is the victim of a political campaign.
So, here we are. You can decide for yourself.
***
TITLED: In the name of God … Before I go to jail, I want to say my request!
Mr John Howard! Mr Kevin Rudd! Our honourable politicians in Canberra! Are you Australians or Americans? If you are an Australian, you should care about Australia’s interests before you think about America’s interests. Australia was a safe country and Australians were enjoying their peaceful life until Mr Howard decided to make George W Bush happy. The day Mr Howard decided to go to war with Iraq the opposition leader at time said: “Today is a sad and tragic day for Australia.” He was right, that was a tragedy in Australia’s history. Our safe Australia became unsafe as a result of the wrong policy of some politicians. The politicians of Canada care about Canada’s interests, and they did not want to sell their country’s happiness to gain America’s happiness and that’s why Canada decided not to be involved with war. The Canadian politicians did not betray their nation. Why can’t Australia be like Canada? Why should Australians suffer? Australians deserve to have a peaceful life. Who has given the right to you politicians to take it away from this nation? Do we peace activists betray Australia or some of you politicians?
The majority of Australians are decent and they have kind hearts. Some politicians take advantage of these good hearts and they brainwash our young men and women sending our soldiers to other countries which have never attacked Australia. Our citizens have been told that they are defending their country and its national interests. Our brave young men and women whose hearts are full of love for Australia believed those politicians and they sacrificed their lives. Those soldiers have not betrayed Australia, some of you politicians have betrayed our country.
Dear Australians, war in Iraq and Afghanistan was not for Australian interests, it was for politicians’ benefits. When no country has attacked us why should we get involved with war and make trouble for Australia? Why should we lose our kids? That young boy, Benjamin Ranaudo and other soldiers like him deserved to be alive and enjoy life. Why should we lose Ranaudo, Till and people like them? Why? Don’t tell me: “Because of Australia’s interests”. Which interests? Please prove it for the nation. The war not only has not had any interests for Australia but also it has put our national security at risk. If a country unjustly attacks Australia it is the duty of every Australian to defend this country but when no country has attacked Australia why are we searching for trouble? Why should we lose our soldiers? Why should we damage our beautiful country? One of the difference between me and Mr John Howard is that I prefer Australia’s interests rather than America’s interests but Mr Howard preferred the happiness of George W Bush rather than Australia’s happiness. In fact it was like a deal, Mr John Howard sold Australia’s safety and happiness to gain George’s happiness. Which one of us has betrayed Australia – me or John Howard? Which one has to go to court, me or John Howard? This is my court, where is John Howard’s court?
This pen is my gun and these words are my bullets, despite my poor English I fight by these weapons against oppression to promote peace. God willing I’ll write and write and write as long as I haven’t been killed, I write for the safety of all nations including Australian, Iraqi and Afghani nation, this is my Jihad. I want Australia to be peace, I love Australia and this is how every Australian citizen should be regardless of any nationality, backgrounds and religions.
The Afghan authorities announced that the Australian army had killed Afghan civilians and the Australian government accepted to investigate about it. When I read the news about killing civilians, my stomach turned, what about you Mr Kevin Rudd? When the Prime Minister read the news about my letters to the families of the soldiers he said that people’s stomachs turned. Mr Rudd, did also your stomach turn when you read the news about the Australian army killing innocent Afghan civilians, including children? Do you know that killing Afghan children makes Australia unsafe? Are you aware that killing civilians gives a bad image to the Australian army? Do you care about Australia’s interests, Mr Rudd? If you do, your stomach has turned when you have read the news about the Australian army shooting at Afghan kids.
I have written sympathy letters to the families of the Australian soldiers who have been killed in Afghanistan. I have offered my condolences then I have asked them to contact me if they needed any help. This is the duty of every Australian to do so. We all should offer our help to the grieving families. In the letters, after offering my condolences and help, I have given some advice to the families. I’ve advised them to speak out against oppression, I’ve asked them to advise the Australian government to stop killing civilians. Some people have misinterpreted my advices and the government which was searching for an excuse to shut my mouth found a good opportunity to take advantage of that misinterpretation. For about two years I have been writing letters and they never charged me or never informed me that it was against the law but now they have suddenly decided to accuse me that the letter have been sent for harassment. I am not a human-being, if I intend to harass a grieving family. The allegation regarding harassment is not a genuine case, it is a political show.
They don’t want people to read my letters in details, they don’t like media to publish all of the content of the letters because if people read the whole content they’ll realise that the allegation is false. They don’t want people to know that I have offered my help, they don’t want people to see the titles of some letters which are: “Sympathy letters”. If public knows the truth about my letters some people cannot pretend and claim that the letters have been sent for harassment. So the best way to convince public that the letters were sent to harass the families is to hide the letters from the public. Also, media has not published all of the content, they have published only some incomplete quotes so the content obviously will be taken out of context. It wouldn’t be possible for the government to hide the letters from the public while the letters were available on my website? So it was best if the website would be shut down. The Defence Personnel Minister Greg Combet said it was best if the Sheikh’s website was shut down while court proceedings were pending (Source: The Daily Telegraph).
Anyway, my website was suspended and public couldn’t read the full content of the letters, public could read only those incomplete quotes which media selected or was pushed to select. It’s not about the letters it’s about my website, it’s not about my website it’s about me, it’s not about me it’s about my mouth, some people want to shut my mouth and if I don’t shut my mouth you will read one day in the news that Sheikh dies in an ‘accident’. Last year I mentioned about this in my letter which was about information regarding Princess Diana to United Nation, Human rights Commission and Amnesty International and I informed them that my life would be in danger. I appreciate the Human Rights Commission for its response letter.
When I was in custody, the AFP asked me: “Will you send a letter again if an Australian soldier is killed?” I said: “Yes, definitely, it is nice to offer my condolences and my help, it’s like sending a flower or a condolences card, you cannot ask me not to send a flower or a condolences card.” Few hours later an Australian soldier Mason Edwards was killed while training in Australia. I couldn’t send a sympathy letter to his family because one of the conditions on my bail is that I’m not allowed to write letters to the families of the soldiers. (There are more conditions on my bail such as that I must contact the AFP to report where I’ll stay and some other conditions, it’s something similar to the conditions of David Hicks. If it’s really about the letters and harassment why have the counter terrorism teams been involved with the search operations?) Anyway I am sorry that I couldn’t send a letter to the family of Mr Edwards to offer my condolences. I would like to send a condolences card or a basket of flowers if the Prime Minister asks the AFP to allow me to do so. But I tell you that a note of advice will always be attached to my basket of flowers written: “Please ask the Australian army not to kill the Afghan civilians.”
Dear Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, I care about the families of fallen Australian soldiers more than you, now listen to my reason: You offered your condolences to them then you’ve kept sending more soldiers to Afghanistan and put more soldiers at risk but I offered my condolences then I’ve put myself at risk by criticising the government about war to prevent soldiers from being killed, which one of us truly cares for the families of the soldiers, you or me?!
Dear Kevin, please ask the Australian army not to kill the children. You still don’t know about the Afghani pride. They will revenge and our country will be unsafe. We want the Australian children to be safe, it is against God, spirituality and human rights to kill the kids. There is no difference between the Afghani children and the Australian children, they all are our children and we should love them all. Dear Kevin, I beg you please don’t hurt children. Women and children shouldn’t suffer. If your army hurts their women and children, they will hurt our women and children. We don’t want their civilians and our civilians to be hurt. Dear Kevin, I beg you not to hurt the Afghani and Australian women and children. Be Aye Zanben Qutelat? For which sin, have they been killed? I am happy to go to jail if this can help the peace process. I am happy to be in jail if this can awaken some people to stand and speak out against oppression. I am happy to be behind bars if this can protect women and kids in war. I am proud to be in jail for peace, I am proud and I thank God for giving this gift to me. But before I go to jail I have a request. My request is from The Wiggles group that makes entertainment show for kids and families. The Wiggles love kids much more than some politicians. I want to ask The Wiggles to make a special show for Iraqi, Afghani and Australian kids that have lost their parents in war. Dear Wiggles (Sam, Jeff, Murray and Anthony) you have made a song which says: “Bear’s now sleep”. Please make a song which says: “Dad’s now sleep, Mum’s now sleep.” Please make a show and present it to the Australian kids, Afghani kids, Iraqi kids and all those kids that because of war they cannot see their parents. Thank you.
Regards,
Sheikh Haron.
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