Australians have a right to be fearful about the rise of terrorism, Australia Post chief executive Ahmed Fahour says, but banning Muslim immigration is not the solution.
Asked about his concern over the state of discourse following calls to ban Muslim immigration by individuals including US Republican nominee for president Donald Trump, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, and Australian television personality Sonia Kruger, Mr Fahour said he understood why people were worried.
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Sonia Kruger makes a statement on The Today Show, addressing the public backlash she has suffered due to her call for a stop to Muslim migration to Australia. Vision: Today Show, Channel Nine.
"We as Australians have to acknowledge that Daesh [ISIS] is a big problem," he told Fairfax Media.
"They are a security problem. They are a very evil set of people hell bent on disrupting society and having citizens turn on citizens, and governments turn on governments."
!["This idea of banning Muslim migrants is a reaction that I don't think is practical even," says Australia Post CEO Ahmed ...](/web/20160813000229im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/p/p/x/s/o/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gqpi6z.png/1471002667918.jpg)
So it was logical that Australians were feeling insecure about the rise of Islamists and that did not make them bad people. "Who are we to say, 'you shouldn't feel insecure, you just suck it up'. That's not right. They have a right.
"I feel insecure. I am a Muslim and I feel insecure about what Daesh is doing.
"Daesh has killed more Muslims than non Muslims ... [and] have no care who we are, what colour our skin is, what religion we follow. They are just out to create chaos and anarchy in our society. I don't blame people for feeling insecure."
But Mr Fahour said the solutions being put forward to tackle the threat were often illogical.
![The Australia Post CEO says answers are needed, but the ones offered by Pauline Hanson and Donald Trump aren't good ...](/web/20160813000229im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/n/m/j/p/0/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gqpi6z.png/1471002667918.jpg)
"This idea of banning Muslim migrants is a reaction that I don't think is practical even," he said.
"Obviously I don't agree with it. I wouldn't be in this country if that was the policy. But secondly, how do you enforce it? What do you have a Muslim detector? Someone at the border? How do you actually determine that? It's not even a practical solution to what's a legitimate problem.
"I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with people who say, 'we need to have a solution to this'. They have a legitimate right to say we have a problem because we do. The answers are different. I don't agree with One Nation's answers. I don't agree with Trump's answers. But I agree we need to find some answers because the problems are real."
The debate should instead focus on how to integrate young migrants into society to prevent them from becoming radicalised.
We as Australians have to acknowledge that Daesh [ISIS] is a big problem.
Ahmed Fahour
"What you want is the 99 per cent of Muslims who are repulsed by what Daesh is doing to be working with all of Australia to stop these people from getting into the minds of young people who are feeling excluded," Mr Fahour said.
"When I hear some of this stuff going on [calls to ban Muslims] it strengthens my resolve to find ways for us as a nation to get closer together to find economic and social policies that make us all love being Australians and look after each other."
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