A Sydney GP praised by Turnbull cabinet minister Josh Frydenberg as a key moderate Muslim voice has slammed attacks such as those by the minister on Australia's Grand Mufti as "doing the dirty work of the Hansonites".
On Sunday, Resources and Energy Minister Mr Frydenberg questioned Grand Mufti Ibrahim Abu Mohamed's sincerity in his response to the Paris attacks, saying he had "failed in his leadership". By comparison he praised the work of Dr Jamal Rifi, the Sydney doctor who has developed a strong profile condemning Islamist violence.
Dr Mohamed came under fire after the Paris attacks for issuing a statement of condolence that cited "causative factors" of terrorism including "duplicitous foreign policies and military intervention". Facing heavy criticism, he denied two days later that he was suggesting those were justifications for terrorism.
But Dr Rifi, who has strongly backed Dr Mohamed throughout the controversy, yesterday told Fairfax Media such attacks were reminiscent of One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.
"Knowing the history of the Mufti in always denouncing acts of terror, I have no doubt that the sustained attacks on the Grand Mufti are baseless, unjustifiable and amounts to character assassination. They are doing the dirty work of the Hansonites," he said.
Dr Rifi said he was referring to a wide range of attacks on the Mufti. Specifically about Mr Frydenberg he said: "His remarks are ill advised as he should be fully aware of GM intentions."
In remarks that appear to strike a very different chord from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's bridge-building gestures towards Muslim communities, Mr Frydenberg said he was "very concerned" by the responses of some Islamic leaders to terrorism.
Mr Frydenberg's comments on Sunday were endorsed by new Liberal MP and former SAS officer Andrew Hastie, who described them as "on the money", as well as MP and former Army officer Andrew Nikolic.
But a spokesman for the Australian National Imams Council, Imam Mohamadu Saleem, said: "The continuing onslaught against the Mufti and the Muslim community from some politicians and sections of the media is not helpful, given the Prime Minister's efforts to promote cohesive relationships between various communities in multicultural Australia."
Mr Frydenberg told Sky News Australia that the Mufti had "failed in his leadership" and suggested the original statement better reflected his true opinion.
"He sought to cover that up subsequently but it was a graphic failure," he said. "His first reaction was his instinctive reaction."
Speaking later to Fairfax Media, he denied he was at odds with Mr Turnbull, who has taken a more conciliatory tone with Australian Muslims on the advice of security agencies who view the communities as allies against extremism.
"Malcolm Turnbull is absolutely right to emphasise that we need to work with Islamic community as partners in dealing with violent extremism. At the same time, we need more powerful, moderate voices like [Sydney GP] Jamal Rifi that can counter the anti-democratic, anti-secular, anti-Western narrative of ISIS and its followers."
After Dr Mohamed's clarifying statement, Mr Turnbull said "that seems to have cleared up the issue".
Mr Hastie, the MP for the Western Australian seat of Canning, said he was "backing Josh on this" and that it was "right to call out the Mufti".
"People are tired, particularly in Canning, of some parts of the media and the political class not calling it how it is … I think generally there is a theological poverty in public discussion about the roots of these terrorist acts," he said.
Mr Nikolic also backed Mr Frydenberg. He said other Muslim leaders would "decide whether the Grand Mufti is the man best placed to represent them" but added "there are Muslims I know who are disappointed".
Both MPs insisted Mr Frydenberg was not at odds with Mr Turnbull on the issue.
