Rabbinical Council of Victoria

29 Kislev 5771
6 December 2010

RCV Meets Federal Attorney General to Combat Extremism

The Rabbinical Council of Victoria (RCV) had the opportunity recently to convey its concerns regarding violent extremism to the Australian Attorney General, the Hon. Robert McClelland MP.

Invited by the Attorney General to discuss ways in which violent extremism can be countered, Rabbi Meir Shlomo Kluwgant, representing the RCV, stated that “leaders of all ethnic and religious communities should support government efforts to address the issue of violent extremism within their communities. Particularly in communities where extremist ideologies tend to have a strong appeal to the youth, it is crucial that both religious and lay leaders take an active role to discourage and condemn acts of extremist violence and that they work with the relevant authorities to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators,” he said.

In addressing the issue of prevention, Rabbi Kluwgant stated that “the government should continue to work closely with various communities to ensure that adequate efforts are made to prevent extremist ideologies from taking root in the first place. In situations where violent extremism is already a reality, community leaders need to receive training and education in methods of detection and intervention in order to be able to identify the sources of such extremism and to put a halt to its spread,” he said.

Whilst the purpose of the forum, which was also attended by leaders of other ethnic and religious communities, was to discuss a proposed national strategy to counter violent extremism, Rabbi Kluwgant took the opportunity during a break in proceedings to brief Mr McClelland on the outcomes of the RCV’s recently held Rabbinical Arbitration Course and to discuss the RCV’s plans to establish a local Beth Din for civil and commercial disputes. Mr McClelland expressed his interest in these projects and asked to be kept informed of the RCV’s progress in these areas.

Commenting on the RCV’s ongoing engagement with both the Victorian and Australian governments, RCV President Rabbi Yaakov Glasman stated that “as a peak body of the Jewish community, we value the opportunity to communicate and engage with political leaders at all levels. We appreciate the support that we continue to receive and are grateful that we are able to make a positive impact within society through our many social action projects,” he said.