Australian Muslim leaders call for calm

Muslim leaders in Australia called for a peaceful resolution to a siege in central Sydney as the gunman‘s suspected links to militant Islam threaten to spur racial tensions in the nation.

The Grand Mufti said he and the Muslim community condemned “this criminal act unequivocally” as armed police surrounded the Lindt cafe in Martin Place and negotiators sought to end the hostage-taking.

While police say they haven‘t determined the motives of the gunman, television footage showed a black flag with white Arabic lettering pressed against the window of the cafe.

Muslim leaders have appealed for calm since authorities raised the terrorism alert in Australia in September to the highest level in a decade, citing the threat posed by supporters of Islamic State.

In one Twitter campaign, people pledged to accompany others wearing religious attire on public transport to help them feel safe. The hashtag #illridewithyou had over 40,000 posts in two hours, according to a tracking website cited by Twitter Australia. Anti-Muslim sentiment sometimes bubbles to the surface in Australia and reached a flashpoint in December 2005 at the Sydney seaside community of Cronulla, where the assault of a group of surf lifesavers by young men of Middle Eastern appearance led to retaliatory attacks.

In recent months, a mosque has been defaced in Queensland‘s Gold Coast and pamphlets were distributed in the state‘s northern tourist city of Cairns urging the boycott of halal products.

As crowds gathered behind police tape near Martin Place today, a Caucasian male shouted anti-Muslim racist abuse in the direction of the cafe before he was ushered away by officers.

In a special afternoon edition, the tabloid Daily Telegraph, Sydney‘s biggest-selling newspaper, ran the headline “Death Cult CBD Attack“ on its front page and said the Islamic State was behind the incident. Anti-Muslim sentiment sometimes bubbles to the surface in Australia and reached a flashpoint in December 2005 at the Sydney seaside community of Cronulla, where the assault of a group of surf lifesavers by young men of Middle Eastern appearance led to retaliatory attacks.

One of Australia’s largest mosques, at Lakemba in west Sydney, released a statement signed by a number of Islamic organisations including the Australian National Imams Council and the Australian Federation Islamic Council.

“The Australian Muslim community shares with fellow Sydneysiders their utter shock and horror at the unprecedented scenes emerging from the Lindt cafe in Martin Place this morning. Our immediate thoughts go to the hostages and their loved ones,” the statement said.

“We pray for their safety and hope this matter is resolved quickly and peacefully. We reject any attempt to take the innocent life of any human being, or to instill fear and terror into their hearts.

“Any such despicable act only serves to play into the agendas of those who seek to destroy the goodwill of the people of Australia and to further damage and ridicule the religion of Islam, and Australian Muslims through this country ...

“This is a time for all Australians to stand together and support each other. We pray for a swift resolution to this crisis with no injuries or loss of life.”

Agencies