By Cam Lucadou-Wells
CASEY mayor Sam Aziz has reported a council election candidate and 26 other apparent supporters to the National Security Hotline over a Facebook post that accuses Cr Aziz of being anti-Muslim.
The post by an apparent supporter of Springfield Ward candidate Faisal Najibi on 8 October urges Muslims not to vote for Cr Aziz under the mistaken assumption that he’s Muslim.
“Sam Aziz is a strong ANTI MUSLIM and he is NOT a Muslim,” the post states.
“I request all the Muslim community not to vote for him.”
It described Cr Aziz as being in “strong opposition” to the new Afghan mosque proposed in Narre Warren North.
On 11 October, Cr Aziz responded on Facebook that “these kind of people are extremely dangerous” and the post’s language was “abhorrent”.
“Knowing how they have operated in the past, this could incite violence against me.
“Please share. Please beware.”
Cr Aziz said the post invited people to “vote on religious lines” and made “unfounded allegations against me because I do not belong to a certain religion.”
“Yet they accuse me of being racist!”
Cr Aziz told Star News that the post was turning the election into a fight between “Muslims versus the rest of us” and recklessly attempting to incite violence against him.
He said he would report Mr Najibi, the apparent author Atal Amin and 26 other tagged names to the National Security Hotline.
“You don’t know what crack-pot is out there, sees anti-Muslim in capitals and what it might mean to them.”
When asked about Muslims who also felt fearful in the current political climate, Cr Aziz said: “That’s not my problem.”
“I’m not anti-Muslim. I’m anti-terrorist and I make decisions (on the mosque) on planning grounds.
“My problem is administering the law of local government. Because I have rejected an application on planning grounds … I shouldn’t be victimised for that.
“We keep making laws for them. People will make excuses for them. People with attitudes like this will destroy what is a beautifully balanced society that we have today.
“When these people get away with that type of language … then we’ll have a problem.”
Mr Amin, a Casey businessman, that day deleted the post and denied its authorship.
The same day Cr Aziz later posted he’d received a “threatening” follow-up text from Mr Amin – which the mayor said he’d report to local police.
The message requested Mr Amin’s photo to be removed from Cr Aziz’s post or he’d report the matter to police and the media.
Cr Aziz also posted a screenshot of a post by Mr Najibi that labelled one of Cr Aziz’s running mates – who is a Muslim and architecture student – an “idiot” for preferencing the mayor.
“I support all communities. I won’t support the disregard of the law, or anyone clearly in auto jihad mode,” Cr Aziz wrote.
“Feeling sensitive there, Faisal?
“Keep showing your true colours.”
Casey Against Racism spokeswoman Lorraine Pratley said Cr Aziz “must have some sense how terrifying”, and his threat to call the National Security Hotline would be to Muslims.
“I think he’s the one being threatening.
“In his upside down world, he’s appealing to his hard-right voter support.”
Casey Against Racism is advocating to vote all current councillors last due to their unanimous rejection of the mosque. It has endorsed 11 candidates, including Mr Faisal.
Mr Faisal declined to comment.
