Christian Democratic Party leader the Reverend Fred Nile wants a ban on the wearing of face coverings in public.



Last week Rev Nile introduced a private members bill into the NSW parliament outlining the plan.  The bill will be debated in state parliament this week.



Issues of national security and the threat of Islamic State are reasons for the bill, according to Rev Nile.



“We also face the new Islamic State terrorist threat, whose black uniforms for both men and women include face coverings to prevent identification,” Rev Nile said.



In 2010, Rev Nile introduced a similar ban that failed to pass through parliament.  Belgium and France had passed laws that same year banning face coverings.



The bill proposes a $550 fine for a person who covers their face in public.  An $1100 penalty would also be issued to a person who forces someone else to cover his or her face.



Face coverings would only be allowed under certain circumstances including during a parade or religious services.



Recently, Rev Nile joined calls for a ban on the IS flag after reports of one being auctioned at a Sydney mosque.



“They fly the flag as something to be proud of – they should be ashamed of beheading people and selling women into slavery,” he said.



In recent months, Christians and other religious minority groups have suffered under the brutal regime of IS in Iraq.  Christians are being forced to convert to Islam, pay a protection tax, or face death.



The Australian government last week committed to sending planes and troops to Iraq to fight IS militants.



“Australia is prepared to engage in these operations because of the threat that this murderous death cult poses ... because it has ambitions beyond any other group to arise so far,” Prime Minister Tony Abbott said.



In response to the persecution, ACL launched a campaign calling on the federal government to increase its humanitarian intake.



Listen to Iraqi-born Assistant Parish Priest Father Paul Mingana speak about refugee places for persecuted Christians with ACL’s Katherine Spackman.

New South Wales premier Mike Baird has refused to rule out the possibility of banning the Islamic State (IS) flag across the state.



This comes after reports of an IS flag recently being auctioned at a Sydney mosque fundraiser.



Mr Baird said a ban on the flag “is something we will consider and work with community groups about but we can’t have the position where you are seeing any activity that is promoting terrorism, supporting terrorism.”



Islamic leaders said IS had hijacked the Shahada symbol displayed on the flag, which has been used by Muslims for centuries. Despite this, Mr Baird stressed the need for appropriate action.



“It is a flag that is used by ISIS and ultimately that is something that we have to respond to and we have to have a zero tolerance approach to,” he said.



Also calling for the ban is NSW MLC Reverend Fred Nile. Rev Nile criticised the IS flag auction, calling it “disgraceful.”



“They fly the flag as something to be proud of – they should be ashamed of beheading people and selling women into slavery.



“Anything that is recruiting these young men should be stopped and they should not be misled to think that this is something to be proud of. It’s a flag of death, a flag of blood and no one should be celebrating it at all and certainly not auctioning it,” Rev Nile said.



ACL has recently condemned the brutality of IS militants against religious minorities in Iraq and Syria.



In response to the persecution, ACL launched a campaign calling on the federal government to increase its humanitarian intake. Almost 20,000 people to date have signed the online petition.



 



 

Elizabeth Kendal is a religious liberty analyst. In this interview with the ACL's Katherine Spackman she gives an update on the persecution of Christians and religious minorities in Iraq. Ms Kendal says tens of thousands of Christians have fled Qaraqosh which is a significant Christian town in Northern Iraq. Many of the Christians have sought refuge in Arbil.