Irfan Yusuf
Encyclopedia
Irfan Yusuf is an Australian lawyer
, social commentator and author
of the memoir
Once Were Radicals: My years as a teenage Islamo-fascist.
and his mother was born in India
. He lived in Pakistan and the U.S. for a time, and then returned to Australia and attended St Andrew’s Cathedral School in Sydney
.
He graduated from Macquarie University
in law and economics. He also has a Diploma of Legal Practice from the University of Technology, Sydney
. He was admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1994.
in 1993 where he became prominent in its conservative faction. In 2005 Yusuf explained "from 1994 to 2002, I was a factional warrior for the non-Group (right-wing) faction of the NSW Liberals." He was elected to the State Council of the NSW division of the Party from 1996-2000. He writes he was ordered by factional bosses such as Tony Abbott to oppose the preselection of Brendan Nelson
because he was not considered sufficiently conservative. In 1999, he ran with other members of the Liberal Party for the Bankstown council
as part of a group called "New Generation", he was unsuccessful. He was also endorsed as Liberal
candidate for the safe Labor seat of Reid
in the 2001 Australian Federal Election. He achieved a two-party preferred swing of over 5%.
membership lapse in 2002 and in particular became critical of what he said was a takeover of the conservative faction by NSW Member of the Legislative Council David Clarke
. In July 2006, in an episode of ABC's Four Corners, he joined other former Liberals in criticising the direction of the Party. He accused Clarke of being willing to exploit anti-semitism
and homophobia
to recruit people Muslims from Sydney to his party and faction, and that he had made derogatory remarks to him about Jews and homosexuals. Clarke vehemently denied Yusuf's claims, threatening legal action which never eventuated.
After a scandal involving a racist leaflet emerged during the 2007 election, Yusuf remarked on ABC's Lateline that a member expelled from the Liberal Party was perhaps affected by being "surrounded by bigots." He also claimed that one of John Howard's
campaign workers had said to him he resembled "that Aborigine who my great grandfather shot dead for trespassing onto his property."
In an online article in September 2005, Yusuf criticised his former factional colleague Bronwyn Bishop
, a prominent Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives
. Bishop had led a campaign to ban the muslim headscarf in state schools on grounds that it was inconsistent with school uniforms and it was therefore an "iconic emblem of defiance". Yusuf said the campaign was more about discouraging rebelliousness and minimising cultural diversity, and facetiously suggested that dresses were far more of a national security issue: "How do we know that these women aren't hiding bombs under their dress?". He has previously criticised what he says are Bishop's efforts to "marginalise a key faith-sector of mainstream Australia" as being "most helpful to Osama bin Ladin". Bishop denied Yusuf's claim, saying it was "stupid" and offensive." In a speech to the Australian Parliament, Bishop further responded to Yusuf's criticism, declaring that Yusuf was "known for his offensive behaviour towards women".
Since then, Yusuf has publicly campaigned against violence against women
, particularly in the Muslim community.
In 2007, Yusuf received the Iremonger award by publishers Allen and Unwin, for his submission "Once were Radicals" that was published during 2009 as an autobiographical work Once Were Radicals: My years as a teenage Islamo-fascist
. In 2008, he was "highly commended" by the Jesuit publication Eureka Street
, for an essay on combating violence against women in Muslim-majority states.
He was a guest speaker at the Sydney Writers Festival in 2009, and a description of the event said Irfan "points the finger at mainstream extremism and hypocrisy and is a passionate (and funny) voice of moderation."
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, social commentator and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of the memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
Once Were Radicals: My years as a teenage Islamo-fascist.
Education and work
Yusuf was raised in Sydney. His father was from PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and his mother was born in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He lived in Pakistan and the U.S. for a time, and then returned to Australia and attended St Andrew’s Cathedral School in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
He graduated from Macquarie University
Macquarie University
Macquarie University is an Australian public teaching and research university located in Sydney, with its main campus situated in Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of Sydney...
in law and economics. He also has a Diploma of Legal Practice from the University of Technology, Sydney
University of Technology, Sydney
The University of Technology Sydney is a university in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university was founded in its current form in 1981, although its origins trace back to the 1870s. UTS is notable for its central location as the only university with its main campuses within the Sydney CBD...
. He was admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1994.
Political activities
Yusuf was involved in campus politics prior to joining the Liberal PartyLiberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
in 1993 where he became prominent in its conservative faction. In 2005 Yusuf explained "from 1994 to 2002, I was a factional warrior for the non-Group (right-wing) faction of the NSW Liberals." He was elected to the State Council of the NSW division of the Party from 1996-2000. He writes he was ordered by factional bosses such as Tony Abbott to oppose the preselection of Brendan Nelson
Brendan Nelson
Dr Brendan John Nelson is a former Australian politician and former federal Opposition leader. He served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives from the 1996 federal election until 19 October 2009 as the Liberal member for Bradfield, a northern Sydney seat...
because he was not considered sufficiently conservative. In 1999, he ran with other members of the Liberal Party for the Bankstown council
City of Bankstown
The City of Bankstown is a city and Local Government Area in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, centred on the suburb of Bankstown....
as part of a group called "New Generation", he was unsuccessful. He was also endorsed as Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
candidate for the safe Labor seat of Reid
Division of Reid
The Division of Reid is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located in the western suburbs of Sydney, and includes the suburbs of Abbotsford, Auburn , Berala , Breakfast Point, Burwood , Cabarita, Canada Bay, Chiswick, Concord, Concord West, Croydon , Drummoyne,...
in the 2001 Australian Federal Election. He achieved a two-party preferred swing of over 5%.
Leaving the Liberal Party
He let his Liberal PartyLiberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
membership lapse in 2002 and in particular became critical of what he said was a takeover of the conservative faction by NSW Member of the Legislative Council David Clarke
David Clarke (Australian politician)
David John Clarke, an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council representing the Liberal Party of Australia since 2003. and is considered to have conservative Christian views.-Personal life:...
. In July 2006, in an episode of ABC's Four Corners, he joined other former Liberals in criticising the direction of the Party. He accused Clarke of being willing to exploit anti-semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
and homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
to recruit people Muslims from Sydney to his party and faction, and that he had made derogatory remarks to him about Jews and homosexuals. Clarke vehemently denied Yusuf's claims, threatening legal action which never eventuated.
After a scandal involving a racist leaflet emerged during the 2007 election, Yusuf remarked on ABC's Lateline that a member expelled from the Liberal Party was perhaps affected by being "surrounded by bigots." He also claimed that one of John Howard's
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
campaign workers had said to him he resembled "that Aborigine who my great grandfather shot dead for trespassing onto his property."
Commentator and author
Yusuf's work has been published in 6 major newspapers and he has appeared on a number of television and radio programmes.In an online article in September 2005, Yusuf criticised his former factional colleague Bronwyn Bishop
Bronwyn Bishop
Bronwyn Kathleen Bishop , an Australian politician, is a Member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Liberal Party representing the Division of Mackellar, New South Wales since 1994...
, a prominent Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
. Bishop had led a campaign to ban the muslim headscarf in state schools on grounds that it was inconsistent with school uniforms and it was therefore an "iconic emblem of defiance". Yusuf said the campaign was more about discouraging rebelliousness and minimising cultural diversity, and facetiously suggested that dresses were far more of a national security issue: "How do we know that these women aren't hiding bombs under their dress?". He has previously criticised what he says are Bishop's efforts to "marginalise a key faith-sector of mainstream Australia" as being "most helpful to Osama bin Ladin". Bishop denied Yusuf's claim, saying it was "stupid" and offensive." In a speech to the Australian Parliament, Bishop further responded to Yusuf's criticism, declaring that Yusuf was "known for his offensive behaviour towards women".
Since then, Yusuf has publicly campaigned against violence against women
Violence against women
Violence against women is a technical term used to collectively refer to violent acts that are primarily or exclusively committed against women...
, particularly in the Muslim community.
In 2007, Yusuf received the Iremonger award by publishers Allen and Unwin, for his submission "Once were Radicals" that was published during 2009 as an autobiographical work Once Were Radicals: My years as a teenage Islamo-fascist
Islamofascism
The term Islamofascism is a neologism which draws an analogy between the ideological characteristics of specific Islamist movements from the turn of the 21st century on, and a broad range of European fascist movements of the early 20th century, neofascist movements, or totalitarianism.-Origins of...
. In 2008, he was "highly commended" by the Jesuit publication Eureka Street
Eureka Street
Eureka Street is an Australian magazine concerned with public affairs, arts, and theology started in 1989 by Michael Kelly SJ, Morag Fraser, and Adrian Lyons SJ. It was published in paper format for 15 years and was an opinion-forming magazine for many of those years...
, for an essay on combating violence against women in Muslim-majority states.
He was a guest speaker at the Sydney Writers Festival in 2009, and a description of the event said Irfan "points the finger at mainstream extremism and hypocrisy and is a passionate (and funny) voice of moderation."