The Christian Institute

Daniel and his wife, Mariat

An Australian church minister found ‘guilty’ of vilifying Muslims is appealing against the decision of the court.

In December 2004 Daniel Scot, a former lecturer in Mathematics at the University of Queensland, was held to have broken the State of Victoria’s Racial and Religious Tolerance Act after he criticised the teaching of fundamentalist Islam in a church seminar.

Daniel Scot is a Pakistani national who grew up in that Islamic society. He fled his homeland because he faced a death sentence after refusing to convert from Christianity to Islam.

The Christian Institute examined the transcript of the church seminar in which Daniel criticised Islam. We found Daniel Scot’s comments to be fair and reasonable.

The court judgement in Daniel Scot’s case is full of factual errors and Daniel Scot is appealing against the decision.

The case shows the dangers of legislating in this area. Whatever the intention of politicians, once the law is in the hands of lawyers and the courts the law takes on a life of its own.

In Daniel Scot’s case, three Australian Muslim converts were sent to his church seminar by the Muslim Council of Victoria with the intention of taking offence and making a complaint. This occurred just two months after the law against religious vilification was introduced.

In February 2005 the Christian Institute invited Daniel Scot to come to the UK to help us oppose plans by the UK Government to introduce an ‘incitement to religious hatred’ offence. He met with politicians, journalists, lawyers and church leaders. He also addressed several public meetings including a meeting of 850 people in Chessington.

His case was covered in the national press and mentioned by several Peers in the House of Lords.

His visit to the UK was an important part of the pressure put on the Government to drop the incitement plans ahead of the General Election.