Australia (Danny Nalliah and Daniel Scot) who could face a six month prison term and unlimited fines for allegedly inciting hatred towards Muslims, an official said. The case is being held at the Civil and Administrative Tribunal of Victoria state.
A request by lawyers for a two week adjournment of the case (because of additional Muslim complaints) was reportedly rejected by the court.
In a statement on Saturday, Oct. 25, VOM Spokesman Todd Nettleton said that the Islamic Council of Victoria has broadened its complaint to add not just the speakers and lecturers at a seminar about Islam but the entire meeting.
COURT CASE
Court hearings are scheduled to resume the first week of November.
The Islamic Council started the court case saying that the Christian ministry Catch the Fire of pastors Nalliah and Scot "vilified Muslims" at a seminar on jihad on March 9, 2002, a violation of Victoria’s "Racial and Religious Toleration Act."
Nalliah and Scot, a native of Pakistan, were reportedly lecturing on the differences between Christianity and Islam, and quoted information about Islam directly from the Koran and other recognized Islamic sources.
LIMITED DEFENSE
VOM expressed concern that the two men will not be allowed to argue during their defense whether or not their statements were true, but only on whether or not they incited "hatred against, serious contempt for, or revulsion or severe ridicule" of Muslims.
"This case is a wake-up call for Western Christians," said VOM spokesman Nettleton. "These men are not on trial for telling lies. They are on trial–in what we would call a free nation–for telling the truth."
