The government has cancelled the visa of a Jewish influencer who has previously called for the ban of Islam and was booked to speak at several events in Australia.
The right-leaning Australian Jewish Association (AJA) said Sammy Yahood’s visa was cancelled three hours before his flight was due to depart.
The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, confirmed he had cancelled the visa on Monday evening, and said “spreading hatred is not a good reason to come”.
“If someone wants to come to Australia they should apply for the right visa and come for the right reason,” Burke told Guardian Australia in a statement.
In response to the decision, Yahood took to social media overnight to accuse Labor of “tyranny”, insisting his spirits remained high despite the block.
You don’t see the irony of defining a group of people whom you will not tolerate, on the basis that they are not tolerant?
This definition might be perfectly reasonable, but like any definition it can be used to capture people you don’t want to be tolerant of. Your own intentions may be virtuous, but my point is weilding the paradox of tolerance like a stick to beat fascists is hypocrisy.
Instead, it’s fine to just acknowledge that we don’t tolerate fascists, without trying to cling to the moral high ground with this “paradox” nonsense.
I already explained in my previous comment that there is no real paradox, only the appearance of one when tolerance is framed as a virtue rather than a contract.
Why don’t you tolerate fascists? What’s your reasoning for it?