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| '''Irfan Yusuf''' (born 1969 |
'''Irfan Yusuf''' (born 1969 in ], ]) is an Australian lawyer specialising in workplace law<ref></ref> and the author of a ] ''"Once Were Radicals - My years as a teenage ]"''<ref></ref>. | ||
| ==Education== | |||
| ==Early life and education== | |||
| Yusuf was raised by parents of Indian Muslim background<ref></ref> in Sydney, Karachi and ], ]. While in Pakistan, he attended an Islamic religious school, called a ] where he came to believe in sharia law and an Islamic form of government. <ref>Insight, SBS TV, 27 May 2008 </ref> As a teenager, he was what he describes now as an "]"<ref></ref> who "became convinced he should die for a Muslim cause"<ref></ref> and "and at age 16 decided he might join the ] in ]."<ref></ref> He also attended ] in ] <ref name="The Australian"> Jill Rowbotham, Religious affairs writer Portrait of a radical as a young man December 13, 2007 The Australian</ref>, and ], where he graduated in law and economics<ref></ref> He also has a Diploma of Legal Practice from the ]<ref></ref>. | |||
| Irfan grew up in Sydney but spent periods in Karachi and ], ]. <ref name="allen"/> He was educated ] in ], <ref name="The Australian"> Jill Rowbotham, Religious affairs writer Portrait of a radical as a young man December 13, 2007 The Australian | |||
| </ref> and at ], where he graduated in law and economics. <ref name="allen"/> | |||
| ==Liberal party involvement== | |||
| ==Early career== | |||
| Yusuf was involved in Muslim youth groups prior to joining the ] in 1993 where he became active in its conservative or right-wing faction<ref></ref>. | |||
| Yusuf served as the president of the Islamic Youth Association of New South Wales, a body which was dissolved in 1992, and whose members re-joined to form the NSW division of Young Muslims of Australia (YMA). {{Fact|date=December 2008}} In 1993, he joined the ]. <ref name="allen"/> Yusuf served as President of the ] ] and the Bankstown Liberal State Electorate Conference {{Fact|date=December 2008}} and was on the on NSW State Liberal Council from 1996-2000. <ref>http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/nsw/content/2006/s1694459.htm</ref> | |||
| He was endorsed ] candidate for the safe Labor seat of ] in the ]. <ref></ref> He later became critical of the liberal party saying it attempted to appeal to Islamic people with anti-semitism and criticism of homosexuals in order to recruit Labor-voting Muslims to the Liberal Party.<ref></ref> | He told the ABC in 2006 that "from 1994 to 2002, I was a factional warrior for the non-Group (right-wing) faction of the NSW Liberals." As such he was supported by them to be elected State Council of the NSW division of the Party from 1996-2000. <ref>http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/nsw/content/2006/s1694459.htm</ref> As a member of that faction, he opposed the preselection of ] because he was not considered sufficiently conservative. He later became critical that Nelson was too conservative.<ref></ref> He was also endorsed as ] candidate for the safe Labor seat of ] in the ]. <ref></ref> | ||
| ===Leaving the Liberal Party=== | |||
| ==Writings== | |||
| He eventually became disenchanted with the Liberal party and in particular became critical of what he said was a takeover of the conservative faction by NSW Member of the Legislative Council (upper house) David Clarke. He accused Clarke of being willing to exploit racial tensions to recruit members to his party and faction: | |||
| ⚫ | Yusuf has written on |
||
| ''I guess in my case, or in the cases that he could side with Islamics(sic), he sort of presumed that, "Oh, well. If you want to get the Arabs in or the Muslims in, then you just tell them that the Howard Government -" or that he in particular, or the people that he is associated with, perhaps - "weren't all that fond of people of Jewish background."'' <ref></ref> | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| Clarke vehemently denied Yusuf's claims that the political faction they were involved with was anti-semitic and was recruiting Muslims on that basis: | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ''"I first met Mr Irfan Yusuf a number of years ago when he was a member of the Liberal Party. He has sinced parted company with the Liberal Party and for some years has been running an escalating campaign of denigration against the party and in particular against myself. I categorically deny making derogatory remarks to him about Jews and homosexuals, or encouraging him to sign up Labor Party members as member of the Liberal Party. His allegations are outrageous lies."''<ref></ref> | |||
| ⚫ | ==References== | ||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| Yusuf's claims - the subject of defamation threats - were made in an episode of ''Four Corners'' in July 2006<ref>http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2006/s1686673.htm</ref>. Clarke did not initiate defamation proceedings against Yusuf. | |||
| ⚫ | ==External links== | ||
| After a scandal involving a racist leaflet emerged during the 2007 election, Yusuf continued his attacks on the Liberal party, saying members were "surrounded by bigots." <ref> ABC Lateline 22 November 2007</ref> He also claimed that one of ] campaign workers had said to him he resembled "that Aborigine who my great grandfather shot dead for trespassing onto his property."<ref></ref> | |||
| Yusuf has also been accused of engaging in "offensive behaviour towards women" in the Australian Parliament in a speech made by a prominent former factional Liberal colleague Bronwyn Bishop, a member of the House of Representatives. Yusuf had attacked Bishop for "keeping a bomb under her dress". She responded: | |||
| ''"It has come to my attention today that an opinion piece has been authored and distributed by a Muslim activist known for his offensive behaviour to women and in fact named Mr Irfan Yusuf where he has made a number of scurrilous, ridiculous and inaccurate statements concerning myself."''<ref></ref> | |||
| After Bishop's allegations, Yusuf publicly campaigned against violence against women, particularly in the Muslim community.<ref></ref> | |||
| ==Blogger and author== | |||
| ⚫ | In recent years, Yusuf has written on a variety issues related to being a Muslim in Australia. Websites like ]!, ], Malaysiakini, AltMuslim, and ABC Unleashed have published his opinion pieces. Yusuf also publishes his own blogs where he has criticised some aspects of Australian and American foreign policy as well as local and international Muslim religious and political figures, including former Mufti of Australia, ]. <ref>http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/opinion/story/0,22049,20650652-5001031,00.html</ref> He is seen as a more moderate Muslim that those supporting Hilaly. | ||
| ⚫ | In 2007, Yusuf was awarded the Iremonger award by publishers ], for his submission "Once were Radicals" <ref></ref> which will be published during 2009 as an autobiographical work ''Once Were Radicals - My years as a teenage ]''.<ref></ref> In 2008, he was awarded a Highly Commended for the Eureka Street/Human Rights Writing for an essay on combating violence against women in Muslim-majority states. <ref>http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=8181</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | In 2008, the ''Canberra Times'', ''New Zealand Herald'' and Yusuf apologised for pieces written by Yusuf they had published regarding Mr Daniel Pipes after he complained about inaccuracies. The ''Canberra Times'' published this statement: ''The Canberra Times and Irfan Yusuf accept that Mr Pipes never predicted nor has he ever endorsed a Holocaust of European Muslims, and they unreservedly apologise to him for the errors.'' Pipes responded on his blogs: ''Irfan Yusuf has a history of writing inaccurately about me, something I have already noted and corrected. His having embarrassed the Canberra Times should send a signal to responsible media everywhere to decline his tendentious writings.'' | ||
| ⚫ | ===External links=== | ||
| * | * | ||
| * | * | ||
| * | * | ||
| * | * | ||
| ⚫ | ===References=== | ||
| <references/> | |||
| ⚫ | <http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/natint/stories/s1446239.htm> | ||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Yusuf, Irfan}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Yusuf, Irfan}} | ||
Revision as of 15:01, 24 March 2009
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Irfan Yusuf (born 1969 in Karachi, Pakistan) is an Australian lawyer specialising in workplace law and the author of a memoir "Once Were Radicals - My years as a teenage Islamo-fascist".
Education
Yusuf was raised by parents of Indian Muslim background in Sydney, Karachi and Princeton, New Jersey, USA. While in Pakistan, he attended an Islamic religious school, called a maddrassa where he came to believe in sharia law and an Islamic form of government. As a teenager, he was what he describes now as an "Islamo-fascist" who "became convinced he should die for a Muslim cause" and "and at age 16 decided he might join the jihad in Afghanistan." He also attended St Andrew’s Cathedral School in Sydney , and Macquarie University, where he graduated in law and economics He also has a Diploma of Legal Practice from the University of Technology, Sydney.
Liberal party involvement
Yusuf was involved in Muslim youth groups prior to joining the Liberal Party in 1993 where he became active in its conservative or right-wing faction.
He told the ABC in 2006 that "from 1994 to 2002, I was a factional warrior for the non-Group (right-wing) faction of the NSW Liberals." As such he was supported by them to be elected State Council of the NSW division of the Party from 1996-2000. As a member of that faction, he opposed the preselection of Brendan Nelson because he was not considered sufficiently conservative. He later became critical that Nelson was too conservative. He was also endorsed as Liberal candidate for the safe Labor seat of Reid in the 2001 Australian Federal Election.
Leaving the Liberal Party
He eventually became disenchanted with the Liberal party and in particular became critical of what he said was a takeover of the conservative faction by NSW Member of the Legislative Council (upper house) David Clarke. He accused Clarke of being willing to exploit racial tensions to recruit members to his party and faction:
I guess in my case, or in the cases that he could side with Islamics(sic), he sort of presumed that, "Oh, well. If you want to get the Arabs in or the Muslims in, then you just tell them that the Howard Government -" or that he in particular, or the people that he is associated with, perhaps - "weren't all that fond of people of Jewish background."
Clarke vehemently denied Yusuf's claims that the political faction they were involved with was anti-semitic and was recruiting Muslims on that basis:
"I first met Mr Irfan Yusuf a number of years ago when he was a member of the Liberal Party. He has sinced parted company with the Liberal Party and for some years has been running an escalating campaign of denigration against the party and in particular against myself. I categorically deny making derogatory remarks to him about Jews and homosexuals, or encouraging him to sign up Labor Party members as member of the Liberal Party. His allegations are outrageous lies."
Yusuf's claims - the subject of defamation threats - were made in an episode of Four Corners in July 2006. Clarke did not initiate defamation proceedings against Yusuf.
After a scandal involving a racist leaflet emerged during the 2007 election, Yusuf continued his attacks on the Liberal party, saying members were "surrounded by bigots." He also claimed that one of John Howard's campaign workers had said to him he resembled "that Aborigine who my great grandfather shot dead for trespassing onto his property."
Yusuf has also been accused of engaging in "offensive behaviour towards women" in the Australian Parliament in a speech made by a prominent former factional Liberal colleague Bronwyn Bishop, a member of the House of Representatives. Yusuf had attacked Bishop for "keeping a bomb under her dress". She responded:
"It has come to my attention today that an opinion piece has been authored and distributed by a Muslim activist known for his offensive behaviour to women and in fact named Mr Irfan Yusuf where he has made a number of scurrilous, ridiculous and inaccurate statements concerning myself."
After Bishop's allegations, Yusuf publicly campaigned against violence against women, particularly in the Muslim community.
Blogger and author
In recent years, Yusuf has written on a variety issues related to being a Muslim in Australia. Websites like Crikey!, New Matilda, Malaysiakini, AltMuslim, and ABC Unleashed have published his opinion pieces. Yusuf also publishes his own blogs where he has criticised some aspects of Australian and American foreign policy as well as local and international Muslim religious and political figures, including former Mufti of Australia, Sheik Elhilaly. He is seen as a more moderate Muslim that those supporting Hilaly.
In 2007, Yusuf was awarded the Iremonger award by publishers Allen and Unwin, for his submission "Once were Radicals" which will be published during 2009 as an autobiographical work Once Were Radicals - My years as a teenage Islamo-fascist. In 2008, he was awarded a Highly Commended for the Eureka Street/Human Rights Writing for an essay on combating violence against women in Muslim-majority states.
In 2008, the Canberra Times, New Zealand Herald and Yusuf apologised for pieces written by Yusuf they had published regarding Mr Daniel Pipes after he complained about inaccuracies. The Canberra Times published this statement: The Canberra Times and Irfan Yusuf accept that Mr Pipes never predicted nor has he ever endorsed a Holocaust of European Muslims, and they unreservedly apologise to him for the errors. Pipes responded on his blogs: Irfan Yusuf has a history of writing inaccurately about me, something I have already noted and corrected. His having embarrassed the Canberra Times should send a signal to responsible media everywhere to decline his tendentious writings.
External links
- Planet Irf - a blog by Irfan Yusuf
- Media Mullah - a blog by Irfan Yusuf
- newmatilda.com - articles by Irfan Yusuf
- Online Opinion - articles by Irfan Yusuf
References
- Insight, SBS TV, 27 May 2008
- Jill Rowbotham, Religious affairs writer Portrait of a radical as a young man December 13, 2007 The Australian
- http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/nsw/content/2006/s1694459.htm
- The National Interest: 28 August 2005 - The Aussie Mossie
- http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2006/s1686673.htm
- ABC Lateline 22 November 2007
- http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/opinion/story/0,22049,20650652-5001031,00.html
- Allen & Unwin - The Iremonger Award
- http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=8181
<http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/natint/stories/s1446239.htm>
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