The Albanian government said it might investigate the visa status of protesters waving Hezbollah flags during pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Sydney and Melbourne over the weekend.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on Monday that the government was asking authorities in each states to “check the visa status of anyone who comes to their attention.”
“I will not hesitate to cancel the visas of people who come to our country and spread hate,” Burke said.
In public remarks at the start of Monday’s cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “We saw some worrying signs over the weekend. We don’t want people to bring radical ideologies and conflicts here. Our multiculturalism and social cohesion cannot be taken for granted.”
Opposition spokesman James Paterson said visas for people carrying Hezbollah flags needs to be canceled and deported.
“This is a breach of the Commonwealth Criminal Code,” Paterson said. “Last December, Parliament voted unanimously to amend the Commonwealth Criminal Code to make it an offense to display the Nazi logo or symbol, or the symbol of a listed terrorist organization, including Hezbollah.”
Late Monday, Australian Federal Police said they expected no less than six “crime reports” from Victoria Police allegedly related to banned symbols and chants, that are being investigated by the AFP for potential breaches of anti-terrorism laws.
“The mere public display of a prohibited symbol does not meet the threshold for a Commonwealth offense,” AFP said.
“The Penal Code sets out very detailed elements that have to be met in order to be charged with committing a criminal offense related to a prohibited symbol.
“The prohibited symbol must be displayed in circumstances where the conduct includes: spreading ideas based on racial superiority or hatred; inciting others to insult or intimidate a person; promoting hatred towards another person; an incitement to incite others to insult, intimidate or use force or violence against a person or group on account of his or her race, religion or nationality or is likely to offend, offend or intimidate people on account of a characteristic feature.”
Meanwhile, the government has appointed Aftab Malik, a New South Wales civil servant who has worked to promote social cohesion and counter extremism, as its special envoy to combat Islamophobia.
The announcement comes after a protracted search and long after the appointment of special envoy to combat anti-Semitism, Jillian Segal.
Albanese and Burke said in a press release that Malik, who was born in Britain to Pakistani parents, is “recognized as a world expert on Muslim affairs by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations.”
He served as a senior advisor to the Abu Dhabi Peace Promotion Forum and as an advisor to the board of the British Council’s “Our Common Future” project based in Washington.
Albanese and Burke said the appointment was part of the government’s strategy “to ensure all Australians feel safe and included”.
Malik will work with members of the Muslim community, experts in religious discrimination and all levels of government in the fight against Islamophobia. His appointment is for 3 years and can report to each Albanese and Burke.
Malik said anti-Semitism and Islamophobia “are not mutually exclusive – where there is one, you will most likely find the other.”
The nomination was immediately criticized by the Australian Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN).
APAN said that these envoys “who highlight specific experiences of racism with special government investment and attention have failed to address the increasingly frequent and severe forms of racism experienced by Palestinians – not all of whom are Muslims – First Nations peoples and other marginalized communities.” .
“APAN calls on the federal government to disband both special envoy roles and instead engage in evidence-based, systemic anti-racism efforts that support the entire Australian community in eliminating racism and bigotry.”