Jihad Sheila link to anti-Jewish posts

ONE of the "Jihad Sheilas" made famous by the ABC program of that title is understood to have written anti-Semitic posts on the Facebook pages campaigning for boycotts of chocolate shop chain Max Brenner.

The Australian has acquired copies of posts - since taken down - that show the full extent of anti-Jewish and Holocaust-denying material on the site.

Some is understood to have been posted by Raisah Douglas, a Catholic Australian convert to radical Islam who featured in the ABC documentary.

Ms Douglas last night declined to comment on whether the posts were hers but added that there were also "islamphobic" comments made by pro-Israel commentators.

The comments were revealed as former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd lashed the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel, warning that it was beginning "to smack of anti-Semitism".

The Facebook page - "Rally! Say no to Max Brenner at UNSW" - and another related one were designed to build support for a protest march at the University of NSW on Tuesday, aimed at persuading university authorities to reverse a decision to grant Max Brenner a lease to open an outlet on campus. The Max Brenner chain in Australia is a franchise established by a couple who migrated from Israel, Tamir and Lilly Haikin, and describes itself as wholly Australian owned.

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Pro-Palestinian campaigners have targeted the brand because Max Brenner's Israeli operations are now owned by the Strauss Group, a large Israeli food and beverage company that has publicly supported the Israeli armed forces, including "sponsoring" the Golani Brigade.

Shortly after some people opposed to the boycott began challenging comments on the Facebook pages, a post appeared from a "Raisah Douglas", saying that her Catholic grandmother had taught her "as a youngster about the evil greedy money loving nature of Jews that stole their gold and antiques during the depression", and that she had "hated em (sic) ever since".

"Every time I check in on them I see they continue the same old ways," the post said. Ms Douglas, who married a Somali, Omar Abdi Mohamed, said in the documentary that being cute was not a sufficient condition for a man to be attractive to a Muslim woman. "If he's going to stand there with his beard and his sword, and say 'I'm into jihad' that's extraordinarily attractive," she said.

Omar Mohamed was charged with immigration fraud in the US relating to his alleged failure to reveal on his US citizenship application that the Western Somali Relief Agency, of which he was president, received funds from the Global Relief Foundation, a group listed in the US as a terrorist organisation and accused of having direct links to al-Qa'ida.

He denied the charges but spent 18 months in prison in 2005.

Last year the Sunday Telegraph reported that the Somali Organisation for Development Aid - for which Sydney-based Ms Douglas and Kenya-based Omar Mohamed work - was being investigated by anti-terrorism police. Ms Douglas denied any wrongdoing on behalf of SODA, herself or her husband at the time.

A woman who answered the SODA telephone in Sydney yesterday said she would not comment on "that manipulative piece of crap" relating to the posts.

Among the other posts, an apparently Jewish student named Rachel Rothstein engaged Ms Douglas in a debate on the Facebook page, leading to more anti-Semitic comments from some posters. An Umm Ayan wrote "My side Ms Stein? Your name defines you just like your song."

Umm Ayan later posted: "it tells if the history of greed to prop up their people i.e. fellow jews (sic). I don't want them on our soil to ply non fair trade or fair work products to prop up their disgusting illegal acting army or country in any way shape or form."

Another post under the name Ayms Machiine said to Ms Rothstein: "sue me jew."

In another exchange, an Elle Najjarine wrote: "Allahu Akbar inshallah Palestine will return to it's (sic) rightful owners and no-one can stop the will of Allah."

A James Corey responded with a Zionist comment: "Its rightful owners are Jews so yes it has returned to its rightful owners in 1948."

However, one post from a David Howe said "every Muslim killed by a Muslim is great news i hope they run out of Muslims".

Another from a Johnny Simson read "You liberate women by dressing them rubbish bags, female genital mutilation and honour killing? How liberating!"

The organisers of the University of NSW rally removed most of the anti-Semitic comments from the page, and urged posters to avoid such language and concentrate on a "political debate".

The main organiser, Damian Ridgwell, said the organisation behind the rally, Students for Justice in Palestine, opposed racism and did not support the anti-Semitic comments.

The rally, which involved only about 30 people including a large contingent of Muslim women students, was peaceful and the speeches did not contain anti-Semitic remarks, although there were some strong statements against Israel's actions.

Mr Rudd condemned the BDS movement after The Australian revealed yesterday a leader of the campaign against Max Brenner had admitted its local outlets were not Israeli-owned.

Instead, protester Patrick Harrison said the brand was "a kind of cultural ambassador".

"There is a clear difference between engaging in legitimate protest activity against any government, including the Israeli government, on aspects of policy that protesters disagree with," Mr Rudd said yesterday. "What is not legitimate in countries such as Australia is launching boycott activities against legitimate businesses owned in part or whole by members of the Australian Jewish community."

He said the boycott was reminiscent of those against Jewish stores in the 1930s. "By targeting a people rather than a government the BDS campaign begins to smack of anti-Semitism," he said.

Julia Gillard last week denounced the BDS movement and said the government had always been firm in opposing it.