Well done the moderates

Lincoln Tan at the Herald reports:

A mosque in Auckland has been shut down indefinitely following violent attacks and the declaration of jihad, or holy war, against private security staff hired to guard the premises.

Bill Frost, who leads the Global Security Intelligence team at the Avondale Islamic Centre, was assaulted twice on Sunday and said he feared for his life and the safety of his family after one worshipper threatened him with jihad.

High fences, seven security guards and two police officers were yesterday seen on the site as worshippers were turned away from afternoon prayers.

The New Zealand Muslim Association, which owns the property, said it was shutting down the centre until further notice because of safety concerns.

The centre’s administrator was brutally beaten two weeks ago after issuing trespass orders to a Salafist imam and some of his supporters, and spent 10 days in hospital with fractures and eye injuries.

Mr Frost said he was assaulted twice as he was handing out six trespass orders to people causing trouble at the Blockhouse Bay Rd mosque on Sunday.

There has been an ongoing battle against a small number of extremists. It’s been massively pleasing to see those who run the Avondale Islamic Centre, rejecting the extremists. I’ve often said the only solution to extreme Islam, is moderate Islam.

The extremists claim they are not extremists. But the fact they respond to the trespass orders with violence and threats of jihad, suggests that the NZ Muslim Association has judged the situation correctly. They should be congratulated.