Penalties are harsh, Muslim elders say

What a load of crap.  ''The penalties, while they are warranted, they seem really harsh,''  Well, that's what happens when you accept the hospitality of a country and then try to destroy it.  The unmitigated ingratitude of Australia's Muslim immigrants is without equal. 

As to the long jail terms radicalizing more young Muslims, the Koran and Islam are all that are necessary to create more murderous Jihadi.  For that matter, the Koran and Mohammed are the source of all the murders and invasions by Islam.  Jailing Jihadi simply eliminates more Jihadi.

Muslims are ''angry and frustrated''  Well good, maybe they'll get the message that they are not welcome to invade and conquer the very nations that welcome them.

FROM THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD:

Penalties are harsh, Muslim elders say
JACQUELINE MALEY, RICK FENELEY AND MALCOLM BROWN
February 17, 2010

SYDNEY

Muslims are ''angry and frustrated'' at the severity of the sentences meted out to five men convicted of terrorism offences, say community elders who worry that the strict penalties will serve to radicalise more young Islamic men.
''The penalties, while they are warranted, they seem really harsh,'' said the president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, Ikebal Patel. ''There is a real possibility that this might alienate some members of the Muslim community … there's a lot of frustration and anger.''

On Monday Justice Anthony Whealy of the Supreme Court sentenced the five men from Sydney's west to jail terms of up to to 28 years.
Justice Whealy admitted there was insufficient evidence the men intended to kill, comments seized upon by Keysar Trad, chairman of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia.

''Even if they had talked about things like this,'' Mr Trad said, ''it is very likely that there would have been a very large number of points along the way where they would have reconsidered because they didn't want to kill anybody.''
Mr Trad added: ''It seems our standard has changed from proving a crime beyond reasonable doubt to the possibility that they might have intended to commit a crime.''
But what of the stockpile of weapons, ammunition and potential explosives?

'That doesn't translate into a wilful intent to commit an act of terrorism,'' he said.

Sheikh Khalil Chami of the Islamic Welfare Centre in Lakemba regularly visited the convicted terrorist conspirators, who range in age from 25 to 44, in jail. He is certain they were radicalised in Sydney.