Face of ‘Muslim Votes Matter’ – an Islamic group threatening to destroy Albo over Palestine – posts shocking video saying ‘Australia is absolutely a RACIST country’
The face of a new Islamist group seeking to oust Labor MPs from marginal seats in Muslim areas over their stance on Gaza has seen Australia branded a “racist” country.
Ghaith Krayem, the controversial spokesperson for Muslim Votes Matter (MVM) – a political campaign group aiming to mobilize the Muslim vote at the next federal election – has claimed that Australia was ‘built on racism and remains 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 said at the Sydney Writers’ Festival in May.
“We always have been and it’s very depressing.”
Ms Tingle’s comments sparked outrage, with many rushing to her defense while others called for the national broadcaster to be defunded.
Mr Krayem said the ABC star’s comments had “inflamed the bad sensibilities of the white exceptionalist establishment”, before going on to defend her claim in full.
“She is absolutely 100 percent right. This country is racist,” Krayem told followers on social media.
Ghaith Krayem, the controversial spokesperson for Muslim Votes Matter (MVM) – a political campaign group that aims to mobilize the Muslim vote in the next federal election – has claimed that Australia was ‘built on racism and remains racist today’ .
“It all stems from the fact that a modern state was built on racism and is still racist today.
“But Dutton and his ilk and their accomplices want us to conveniently 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 is now powerfully spreading to others. The answer to every issue related to Islam, to Muslims and now to Palestine… It’s not even hidden racism anymore. It’s open and loud.’
Daily Mail Australia asked Mr Krayem if he stood by his comments.
Krayem has previously accused Labor of taking the Muslim vote “for granted”.
“We’re a racist country, let’s face it,” ABC reporter Laura Tingle (pictured) told the Sydney Writers’ Festival 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 is seeking to encourage Muslim voters to vote tactically and oust MPs who have not called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Krayem has previously accused Labor of taking the Muslim vote “for granted”.
“You have always assumed that our community will vote Labour, and we will show this election that that will change,” Krayem said last month.
‘The message is the same for both parties. You have to stop assuming that the community will vote a certain way,” he said.
“That’s why the Coalition doesn’t engage with our community because it feels like we’ll always vote Labour, and Labor has taken us for granted because there’s an assumption that we’ll always vote Labour.”
Nearly of the 32 marginal seats identified by MVM are currently held by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labor Party.
Education Minister Jason Clare’s seat in Blaxland and Home Secretary Tony Burke’s seat in Watson both top the list.
Labor politicians are right to be concerned. In the British elections in July, Keir Starmer’s Labor Party won a huge majority, but still lost four seats to independent candidates running on a pro-Palestinian platform (photo: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese)
Labor politicians are right to be concerned.
In the British elections in July, Keir Starmer’s Labor Party won a huge majority, but still lost four seats to independent candidates running on a pro-Palestinian platform.
Krayem, 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 Nocturnal reported that he had previously been struck off the rolls of lawyers after an Administrative Decisions Tribunal found him guilty of a series of “very serious” breaches of professional misconduct.