Family First condemns the vicious stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel during a church service in western Sydney last night.
Also condemned is the riotous behaviour of a vengeful mob that gathered and injured New South Wales Police.
There is no place for vigilante violence, no matter how righteous the anger.
Frustrations are understandably high after months of un-checked hate preaching in mosques and Islamic centres since October 7.
Trust levels are low amongst Middle Eastern Christians, such as Assyrians, who have suffered much at the hands of Muslims in their home countries.
Nonetheless, enforcement of the law must be left to the police, that is their job in a civil society like Australia.
Last night’s violence is too much to bear for Australians, Sydneysiders in particular, still reeling from Saturday’s murderous rampage at Bondi Junction by the mentally ill Joel Cauchi.
Police this morning have confirmed that the attack on Bishop Mar Mari was by a 16-year-old and that unlike Saturday, it was “terrorism”.
Presumably they mean Islamist terrorism. It would be good to know for sure and the authorities should be clear.
We need to understand what shaped the world view of a 16-year-old who would commit such terror.
Video of the incident appears to indicate the boy was Islamic.
“If he (the Bishop) didn’t get himself involved in my religion, if he hadn’t spoken about my Prophet, I wouldn’t have come here,” it’s been reported he said.
It is also understood the Bishop immediately began praying for his assailant.
A local councillor has confirmed reports that Bishop Emmanuel was praying for the teenage boy just moments after he allegedly stabbed him in the middle of a church service.
“That’s exactly true, that’s the reports that I’m hearing,” Cumberland City councillor Steve Christou saidon Sunrise.
“It just shows the remarkable courage of a man and the forgiveness he has within him to pray for his alleged attacker.”
Family First has been critical of the Australian National Council of Imams for their silence as various Islamic hate preachers have incited violence from the pulpits of Sydney mosques and Islamic centres since October 7.
Could they have influenced last night's attacker?
Let's hope the police investigation sheds some light.
It was good to see the imams issue a statement condemning last night's attack and condemning violence.
It would be good to see them also issue a statement condemning Hamas for its atrocities, instead of continually attacking Israel for defending itself against an enemy that uses civilians as human shields.
All Australians want to believe that Islam is truly a religion of peace.
In the meantime, Family First’s thoughts and prayers are with the families of Saturday’s victims, Bishop Mar Mari, the priest who was also stabbed last night and with the NSW Police who were injured in the riot.
Premier Chris Minns’ call for calm must be heeded.
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