The Alliance of Australian Muslims (AAM) and Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) are appalled and unequivocally condemn the recent racist comments made by the leader of the opposition, Mr Peter Dutton, implying that innocent men, women or children attempting to flee the horror unfolding in Gaza should not be allowed into Australia and somehow by default pose a threat to Australia’s national security, a baseless, reckless and inflammatory claim.

While the world has continually called for a ceasefire, Mr Dutton has shown no moral fibre by not only ignoring and rejecting these calls but rather being complicit in watching the killing of over 40,000 innocent Palestinians civilians, mostly women and children, over 100,000 injured and the indiscriminate killing of aid workers including a front row seat through his recent visit to the middle east.

In a time when all Australians should be coming together to support one another and deescalate any tensions, Mr Dutton himself has decided to detonate any hope of this through his reckless comments will only promote division within the community.

We welcome the response by the wider Australian community, Politicians and community leaders in also condemning his comments. Australia has a long history of providing aid and refuge for those fleeing war-torn nations, regardless of race, nationality or religion and this should be no different.

We call on the Australian government to increase the number of visas granted to Palestinian refugees, providing them with the safety and protection they so desperately need, and as done so with other refugees to offer them permanent humanitarian residency.