Documents relating to the CTFM complaint

This section provides documents from the case against Catch the Fire Ministries (CTFM) by the Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV).

This includes formal documents lodged with VCAT for the hearing as well as the response made by Catch the Fire Ministries to the original complaint at the Equal Opportunity Commission.

In his 'remedy' decision on 22 June 2005, Judge Michael Higgins made an order ruling that documents and evidence from the case may be used.
Click here for the 'remedy' decision. 

Transcript of Seminar

Many people have asked about what Daniel Scot actually said at the seminar in March 2002.
The tape of the seminar was played at the hearing and the transcript of the seminar was an official document lodged with the tribunal.

The transcript of the seminar has also been placed on the internet on a UK site called Religion Law, which is run by UK barrister Neil Addison.
Click here for his website.
For information on Australia, click on International, then scroll down to 'Australia'.
Direct link to Transcript: Click here for the actual transcript of the seminar.

The Complaint and the CTFM Response

The complaint was originally lodged with the Equal Opportunity Commission under Victoria's Racial and Religious Tolerance Act, which began in January 2002.

The original complaint cited some statements made at the seminar, statements from a Catch the Fire Ministries newsletter and an article on Islam placed on the the CTFM website.
Response:
To read Catch the Fire Ministries' response to the original complaint, click here.

Witness Statements

The witness statements for the Catch the Fire Ministries witnesses at the VCAT hearing.

Pastor Daniel Scot
Pastor Daniel Scot's Witness Statement to VCAT - made in October 2003.

Pastor Danny Nalliah
Pastor Danny Nalliah's Witness Statement to VCAT - made in October 2003.

Dr Mark Durie
This witness statement details the activities of IISCA, the radical organisation in Melbourne run by Sheik Mohammed Omran, IISNA and other Islamic groups.

Dr Durie also details how he purchased two books from the Islamic Council of Victoria, after September 11, one by a Pakistani Islamist named Mawdudi called 'Let us be Muslims' that mentions jihad.

Not mentioned in the Statement, but detailed during cross-examination, was that the person who sold the books to him was Phillip Knight, public officer of the Islamic Council of Victoria. Prior to working with the ICV he was Australia's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1996, and prior to that was Australia's High Commissioner to Pakistan.