The face of a new Islamic group attempting to oust Labor MPs from marginal seats in Muslim areas over their position on Gaza has branded Australia a ‘racist’ country.
Ghaith Krayem, the controversial spokesperson of Muslim Votes Matter (MVM) – a political campaigning group aiming to mobilise the Islamic vote at the next Federal election – has claimed Australia is ‘built on racism and continues to be racist today’.
The comments were made in a social media video Mr Krayem recorded in response to ABC star Laura Tingle’s claim that Australia is a ‘racist country’.
‘We are a racist country, let’s face it,’ Ms Tingle told the Sydney Writers’ Festival back in May.
‘We always have been and it’s very depressing.’
Ms Tingle’s comments sparked an outcry, with many rushing to defend her, while others called for the national broadcaster to be defunded.
Mr Krayem said the ABC star’s comments had ‘triggered the poor sensibilities of the white exceptionalist establishment’, before launching into a full-throated defence of her claim.
‘She’s absolutely 100 per cent right. This country is racist,’ Mr Krayem told social media followers.
Ghaith Krayem, the controversial spokesperson of Muslim Votes Matter (MVM) – a political campaigning group aiming to mobilise the Islamic vote at the next Federal election – has claimed Australia is ‘built on racism and continues to be racist today’
‘It’s whole origin as a modern state is built on racism and continues to be racist today.
‘But Dutton and his ilk and their cronies would conveniently have us forget the genocide this country committed against our First Nations.’
He added: ‘The treatment of our First Nations is still steeped in racism.
‘But that racism now extends to others with a vigour. The response to any issue dealing with Islam, with Muslims and now Palestine… It’s not even hidden racism any longer. It’s overt and loud.’
Daily Mail Australia has asked Mr Krayem if he stood by his comments.
Mr Krayem has previously accused Labor of taking the Muslim vote ‘for granted’
‘We are a racist country, let’s face it,’ ABC reporter Laura Tingle (pictured) told the Sydney Writers’ Festival back in May
MVM is a new political group campaigning on a pro-Gaza platform to target MPs in 32 marginal electorates with large Muslim populations.
It will not field any candidates but rather seeks to encourage Muslim voters to vote tactically to oust those MPs who have not called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Mr Krayem has previously accused Labor of taking the Muslim vote ‘for granted’.
‘You’ve always assumed our community will vote Labor, and we will show this election that that will change,’ Mr Krayem said last month
‘The message is the same to both sides. You need to stop assuming that the community will vote one particular way,’ he said.
‘That’s why the Coalition doesn’t engage with our community because it feels after we will always vote Labor, and Labor has taken us for granted because it’s assumed we always vote Labor.’
Almost of the 32 marginal seats identified by MVM are currently held by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labor party.
Education Minister Jason Clare’s Blaxland seat and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke’s Watson seat are both at the top of the list.
Labor politicians are right to be concerned. In the UK’s July election, Keir Starmer’s Labour party won a seismic majority but still lost four seats to independent candidates standing on a pro-Palestine platform (pictured: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese)
Labor politicians are right to be concerned.
In the UK’s July election, Keir Starmer’s Labour party won a seismic majority but still lost four seats to independent candidates standing on a pro-Palestine platform.
Krayem, who is a former head of the Islamic Council of Victoria and former CEO of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, now runs a ’boutique consulting practice’ called Hikmah Consulting.
In August, The Nightly reported that he had previously been struck off the solicitors’ roll after an Administrative Decisions Tribunal found he was guilty of a series of ‘very serious’ professional misconduct breaches.