Amir Butler
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Amir Butler is an author and engineer, as well as the executive director of the Australian Muslim Public Affairs Committee (AMPAC), co-convenor of the Australian Muslim Civil Rights Advocacy Network (AMCRAN) and frequent media commentator on social and political issues. Born in the United Kingdom, he currently lives in Melbourne, Australia where he writes regularly for such publications as The Age, Herald Sun, Antiwar.com, Japan Times, Asia Times, and The Jakarta Post.
In 2002, Butler founded a now-defunct web magazine called ATrueWord.com with Ismail Royer and Shibli Zaman.
Amir Butler's views on muslims in Australia are quoted by his peers in the Australian media, sometimes critically.[1] [2][3] Butler has also been cited in the UK Parliament[4] and in the NSW Parliament[5] as an authority with views on legislation to do with vilification based on religion.
In regards to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy in 2006, he told the Age "I've seen all of the cartoons and not all of them are offensive," although adding that some cartoons would be offensive to all Muslims and that editors should have predicted the ferocious reaction. Amir pointed out that Muslim Governments have also made use of the reaction of their citizens for their own political reasons.[6]
In March 2007, he started blogging at MuslimMatters.org, where he is a guest-writer. [7]
[edit] References
- ^ Media Watch, Muslims, Albrechtsen and Others. Media Watch Australian Broadcasting Corporation (2002). Retrieved on 2007-05-11.
- ^ Hardaker, David. "Tribunal finds Muslims vilified by Assemblies of God preacher", PM on ABC Radio, 17 December 2004. Retrieved on 2007-05-09. "Now, one prominent member of the Muslim community in Melbourne, that's Amir Butler, from the Australian Muslim Public Affairs Committee, has changed his mind on these laws, because he says they're only undermining the religious freedoms which, say, purport to protect."
- ^ Waks, Manny. "Talk nonsense, but it's not open slather", Herald Sun, 10 April 2007. Retrieved on 2007-05-09.
- ^ Parliamentary Debates, House of Lords, 2005-10-11
- ^ Parliamentary Debates, New South Wales Legislative Council, 2005-09-22
- ^ Publish and be damned: the fight for freedom of expression, by Sushi Das, The Age, February 7, 2006. Accessed May 12, 2007
- ^ muslimmatters.org ยป About
[edit] External links
- Austrolabe - News and commentary site by Australian Muslims including Amir Butler
- MuslimMatters.org - Commentary on Muslim Issues by Amir Butler and others
- AmirButler.com - this blog was last posted to in May 2006
- AntiWar.com column
- Why I have changed my mind about vilification laws
- Amir Butler at Iviews.com
- Warning from Australia: Don't legislate against hate
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Butler, Amir |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Australian Muslims rights advocate |
| DATE OF BIRTH | |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | United Kingdom |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
