Former Muslim navy officer removed from Multicultural NSW advisory board over Israel posts
Updated ,first published
The Navy’s most senior former Muslim officer has been suspended from the Multicultural NSW Advisory Board after posting about Israel and ISIS on LinkedIn.
Captain Mona Shindy was appointed to the advisory board in December, but the acting Multicultural NSW CEO informed her on Thursday that the governor had accepted Multiculturalism Minister Steve Kamper’s recommendation that she be removed.
Shindy, the first strategic advisor on Islamic cultural affairs, was scheduled to be announced as the new board member in December, but this was postponed due to the Bondi terrorist attack, according to emails seen by this imprint.
A spokesperson for Multicultural NSW confirmed the decision as Shindy “posted misinformation and conspiracy theories on his social media platform”.
“The NSW government therefore felt that its ability to promote unity as part of the Multicultural Advisory Board was no longer tenable,” they said.
The decision was related to two posts that Shindy reshared on the social media platform LinkedIn, but that he did not write.
Shindy left a comment under one of them saying “Cfbr”, meaning “commenting for better access”. He also apologized for his behavior in the first of two letters sent to Kamper.
“To the extent that people were offended or upset by my behavior, I would like to reaffirm that this was not my intention. Therefore, I apologize for any hurt I inadvertently caused,” he wrote.
In his first letter to Kamper before making his decision, he says he “tried in good faith to understand the views presented to me” after the issue was discussed with him on January 21.
“I accepted government officials’ argument that, at a time of increased sensitivity and fear, it may be best to exercise extra caution and restraint in sharing about sensitive topics.”
He said he made his first post to “show his concern for the suffering of innocent civilians.” He added that the second post was not made “as a sign of support or agreement” but because “I thought it was interesting that some people had these kinds of ideas.”
In a letter written after being informed of his dismissal on Thursday, Shindy criticized Kamper and said his decision “fundamentally undermines the statutory objectives of Multicultural NSW”.
“The approach taken in my case did not foster harmony; it eroded trust not only for me but for many Muslims who call this state home,” he wrote.
“You have applied to me an exceptional and punitive standard not applied to others; a standard that is far beyond the bounds of justice, proportionality or justification.
“Excluding people with my background and experience is not only short-sighted, it is also deeply damaging to the social fabric that you have a duty to protect.”
Multicultural NSW is a state government body that runs programs aimed at promoting social cohesion and multicultural harmony.
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Mostafa Rachwani is a Parramatta reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He was previously a Community Affairs correspondent for Guardian Australia.Connect via email.
