Religious leaders have expressed concern over Labor’s plans to extend the reach of litigation based on section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, with key Islamic leaders saying it could stifle religious expression and a leading Jewish body warning that the changes had yet to be justified.
The Australian revealed yesterday that Labor was considering a secret plan to extend 18C to include people claiming they had been offended or insulted because of their sexual orientation, disabilities or age. Religious leaders are concerned that extending the reach of 18C to sexual orientation could impact on opinion expressed during sermons or gatherings.
Islamic Council of Queensland spokesman Ali Kadri said while he supported extensions of section 18C to protect people from “hatred, vilification and bigotry”, Labor’s proposal would smother the right of faith leaders to express their opinions on issues such as same-sex marriage.
“We share the concern of other religious groups that misinterpretation of such laws can trample upon religious freedom to criticise sexual preferences,” he said.
“Homosexuality is considered a sin in Islam, however, it is also a sin to humiliate and insult people who belong to the LGBTQI community.”
Read the full article by Rhian Deutrom at The Australian (subscription only).