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SYDNEY - Australia's Sunni and Shiite Muslims have formed a united front against Israel and declared their support for the Iranian-backed terrorist network Hizbollah.
The unity between the two sects, which have been at war with each other for centuries, comes as the nation's Jewish community accused top Shiite spiritual leader Kamal Mousselmani of creating hatred towards Jews by calling Israel a "terrorist" state and expressing his allegiance to Hizbollah militants, the Australian reported. The Government also accused Mousselmani of sending the wrong message to his followers through his adverse views on Israel.
Sunni leader and community spokesman Keysar Trad said his sect largely championed Mousselmani's support for Hizbollah.
"Sunnis outside of Lebanon, yes, they still have a great deal of respect for Hizbollah," he said.
But Trad, who does not believe Hizbollah is a terrorist group, said Sunnis in Lebanon were less inclined to back the terrorist organisation because of political differences with the Shiites. "I agree with [Mousselmani] that the state of Israel has ... consistently engaged in acts of terror which have brought a great deal of pain to the poor Palestinian population and the Lebanese population."
The new Mufti of Australia, Sunni spiritual leader Sheik Fehmi Naji el-Imam, last year called Hizbollah militants "freedom fighters" during an anti-war rally in Melbourne.
Hizbollah's military arm, the External Security Organisation, is a proscribed terrorist organisation in Australia. Supporting Hizbollah's political and military wings is illegal under United Nations counter-terrorist financing declarations.
-AAP
