Religious Vilification

Catch the Fire Ministries and two Pastors v Islamic Council of Victoria

In 2001 the Victorian Parliament enacted the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001. Following a seminar organised by Danny Nalliah’s Catch the Fire Ministries the following year to explain certain Islamic teachings to a group of Christians, the Islamic Council of Victoria complained to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission on behalf of three converts to Islam who attended the seminar that their religious beliefs had been vilified, With mediation unsuccessful, the matter went to the Victorian Civil and Administration Tribunal (VCAT) which found against the two pastors, that judgment was set aside by the Court of Appeal and returned to VCAT for eventual settlement. The resolution of the matter was spread over 4 years and at various stages I wrote articles concerning the progress of the matter with commentary.

Is this religious persecution?

Online Opinion, 21st January 2005

More outrages, more revulsion, more enmity

Online Opinion, 15th July 2005

Religious Vilification law undermines multiculturalism

The Age, 1st May 2006

Appeal is favourable to Catch the Fire Ministries

Online Opinion, 11th January, 2007

Pastors vindicated

Australian Presbyterian, August 2007

Anatomy of a dispute

Online Opinion, 10th August 2007