ASIO seeks to recruit Muslim spies - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
A Muslim community leader has welcomed comments from the head of Australia's intelligence agency that it needs to recruit more Muslims.
ASIO director-general David Irvine made the comments during a rare public address at the Sydney Institute.
"ASIO needs to recruit more people from within our newly arrived migrant communities," he said.
"Connected to this is the need for ASIO to develop even better outreach into our different ethnic communities, particularly Australian Muslim communities.
"My constant message to our valued Islamic community is very simple: 'ASIO is not against Islam, it is against terrorism; against terrorism that kills both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
"To achieve our common goal of a safe and harmonious community, we need to work with you'."
Ahmed Kilani from Muslimvillage.com welcomes Mr Irvine's comments, but has called for ASIO to be more open in its relations with the Muslim community.
He says the relationship between Muslims and the intelligence agency has been uncertain since the September 11 attacks.
"Although it's 10 years later, we welcome the comments but I also think there'll be a lot of suspicion in the Muslim community just in the way that ASIO has been engaging with them in a very covert way, in a very unofficial way, would lead to a lot of suspicion and mistrust for what's happened in the past," he said.
"The first that we hear of this is through the news media; no-one in the Muslim community's heard of this approach.
"Although I welcome what he's saying, really we need to see a real change in the approach for it to have any credibility."
A Muslim community leader has welcomed comments from the head of Australia's intelligence agency that it needs to recruit more Muslims.
ASIO director-general David Irvine made the comments during a rare public address at the Sydney Institute.
"ASIO needs to recruit more people from within our newly arrived migrant communities," he said.
"Connected to this is the need for ASIO to develop even better outreach into our different ethnic communities, particularly Australian Muslim communities.
"My constant message to our valued Islamic community is very simple: 'ASIO is not against Islam, it is against terrorism; against terrorism that kills both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
"To achieve our common goal of a safe and harmonious community, we need to work with you'."
Ahmed Kilani from Muslimvillage.com welcomes Mr Irvine's comments, but has called for ASIO to be more open in its relations with the Muslim community.
He says the relationship between Muslims and the intelligence agency has been uncertain since the September 11 attacks.
"Although it's 10 years later, we welcome the comments but I also think there'll be a lot of suspicion in the Muslim community just in the way that ASIO has been engaging with them in a very covert way, in a very unofficial way, would lead to a lot of suspicion and mistrust for what's happened in the past," he said.
"The first that we hear of this is through the news media; no-one in the Muslim community's heard of this approach.
"Although I welcome what he's saying, really we need to see a real change in the approach for it to have any credibility."
