Australia

Update: Pastors Declare Their Refusal to Obey Court Ruling

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Danny Nalliah speaking to the press following the June 22 VCAT decision
Photo from Ramon Williams - Worldwide Photos Ltd. - The Religious Media Agency
Used by permission
Two pastors found guilty of vilifying Muslims have said they would rather be jailed than apologise for the comments they made, according to reports in the Australian press. This is following the ruling of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) deputy president Michael Higgins on June 22, ordering Daniel Scot and Danny Nalliah of Catch the Fire Ministry to publish a statement of apology on the Catch the Fire website, in its newsletter and in two metropolitan newspapers.  The complete order can be found online (click here).

Pator Nalliah was quoted in the Herald and Sun newspaper as saying, "Right from the inception, we have said that this law is a foul law, this law is not a law which brings unity. It causes disunity and as far as we are concerned right from the beginning we have stated we will not apologise. We will go to prison for standing for the truth and not sacrifice our freedom and freedom to speak."  Catch the Fire Ministries is appealing the VCAT decision to the Victorian Supreme Court.

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  • Vilification Case Settled in Australia
    VCAT Media Release
    VCAT Media Release
    Click here to view the entire document

    The five-year vilification case between Pastors Daniel Nalliah and Daniel Scot of Catch The Fire Ministry and the Islamic Council of Victoria (click here for more) was settled in seven hours of mediation between the two parties in the Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) on June 22. Some of the terms of the agreement are confidential but both parties agreed to make a joint statement in which they recognized the right to "robustly debate religion" within the limits of the law, "including the right to criticize the religious belief of another in a free, open and democratic society." The case was the first to be heard by the VCAT under Victoria's 2001 Racial and Religious Tolerance Act.

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  • Pastors Win Appeal
    Daniel Scot and Danny Nalliah
    Daniel Scot and Danny Nalliah

    Australian pastors Danny Nalliah and Daniel Scott, who were charged with "vilifying Muslims" in March 2002 (click here for more details), have won their appeal. Their case will now be sent back to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to be heard by a different judge. The court also suspended the orders for the pastors to publicly apologize for their comments. Their accuser, the Islamic Court of Victoria, has been ordered to pay half of the appeal costs. The costs of the original hearing will be decided by the judge who rehears their case. The two pastors reportedly hail the decision as "a victory for free speech."

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  • Update on Vilification Case
    Daniel Scot and Danny Nalliah
    Daniel Scot and Danny Nalliah

    In June 2005, Daniel Scot and Danny Nalliah were found guilty of vilifying Muslims by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in Victoria State, Australia. They were ordered to publicly apologize for statements they made in a conference and to not repeat the statements. The ruling was appealed.

    On August 21-22, the appeal court heard their arguments. The three justices have reserved their decision. It could take up to three months for the decision to be announced. Pray for Justice Geoffrey Nettle, Justice David Ashley and Justice Marcia Neave as they consider this important case.

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