Amir Butler

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. 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.

Amir Butler's views on muslims in Australia are quoted by his peers in the Australian media, sometimes critically. [cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = 2002
url = http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/muslim.htm | title = Media Watch, Muslims, Albrechtsen and Others| work = | publisher = Media Watch Australian Broadcasting Corporation | accessdate = 2007-05-11] [cite news | first= David | last= Hardaker | author= | url= http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2004/s1267951.htm | title= Tribunal finds Muslims vilified by Assemblies of God preacher | work= | publisher= PM on ABC Radio | date= 2004-12-17| accessdate= 2007-05-09|quote = 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. ] [cite news | first= Manny | last= Waks | author= | url= http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21528216-5000117,00.html | title= Talk nonsense, but it's not open slather | work= | publisher= Herald Sun | pages= | page= | date= 2007-04-10 | accessdate= 2007-05-09] Butler has also been cited in the UK Parliament [cite hansard | url= http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199697/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds05/text/51011-14.htm| house= House of Lords| date= 2005-10-11 ] and in the NSW Parliament [cite hansard | url= http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/PARLMENT/hansArt.nsf/V3Key/LC20050922039| house= New South Wales Legislative Council | date= 2005-09-22 ] 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. [" [http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/publish-and-be-damned-the-fight-for-freedom-of-expression/2006/02/06/1139074168736.html Publish and be damned: the fight for freedom of expression] ", by Sushi Das, The Age, February 7, 2006. Accessed May 12, 2007]

References

External links

* [http://www.austrolabe.com Austrolabe] - News and commentary site by Australian Muslims including Amir Butler
* [http://www.MuslimMatters.org MuslimMatters.org] - Commentary on Muslim Issues by Amir Butler and others
* [http://www.amirbutler.com AmirButler.com] - this blog was last posted to in May 2006
* [http://www.antiwar.com/orig/butler.php AntiWar.com column]
* [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/06/03/1086203561682.html?from=moreStories&oneclick=true Why I have changed my mind about vilification laws]
* [http://www.iviews.com/Articles/action.lasso.asp?-Search=search&-database=Services&-Table=Magazine&-noresultserror=error.asp&-Response=search.asp&-MaxRecords=10&-SortField=Pdate&-SortOrder=Descending&-op=eq&P
]
* [http://www.spiked-online.com/Printable/0000000CAD01.htm Warning from Australia: Don't legislate against hate]

Persondata
NAME=Butler, Amir
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Australian Muslims rights advocate
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