SIDNEY, Australia (LifeSiteNews) – Assyrian Orthodox Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, who was stabbed while preaching by a man who yelled “Allah Akbar,” has joined his voice with Elon Musk in demanding that the video of the attack be kept online.
READ: Prominent Orthodox bishop stabbed in Australia by reported Islamic extremist
On Monday, April 22, an Australian federal court ordered X to remove all posts that contained the viral video of the Islamic attack on the Orthodox bishop, granting the request of Australia eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, who had demanded that the video be taken down worldwide. On Wednesday, the injunction against showing the video was extended by Justice Geoffrey Kennett until May 10 when a final hearing will be held to determine whether the content can be prohibited permanently worldwide.
Musk has taken issue with the injunction, although following it temporarily. X Corp legal counsel Marcus Hoyne has said the company will argue the footage should remain public, presenting to the court an affidavit obtained from Bishop Emmanuel stating his desire that the video content remain available publicly.
According to the tech giant, the Australian regulator had demanded that X “globally withhold these posts or face a daily fine of $785,000.”
The company’s Global Government Affairs account posted in reply, “X believes that eSafety’s order was not within the scope of Australian law and we complied with the directive pending a legal challenge. While X respects the right of a country to enforce its laws within its jurisdiction, the eSafety Commissioner does not have the authority to dictate what content X’s users can see globally. We will robustly challenge this unlawful and dangerous approach in court.”
Musk wrote Tuesday concerning the overreach of the Australian government and claims that the video was somehow “misinformation” that “The Australian people want the truth. X is the only one standing up for their rights.”
He also said, “Our concern is that if ANY country is allowed to censor content for ALL countries, which is what the Australian ‘eSafety Commissar’ is demanding, then what is to stop any country from controlling the entire internet? We have already censored the content in question for Australia, pending legal appeal, and it is stored only on servers in the USA.”
Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski said he “stands united” with Musk and X in the fight against the Australian censorship of the video.
“Australia has made clear they believe in stripping away human rights (freedom of expression) in order to satisfy what they deem appropriate for your eyes and ears,” Pavlovski said Tuesday. “Australia is officially NOT a free country.”
Daniel Wild, the country’s deputy executive director of the Institute of Public Affairs, told Sky News Australia in a video clip that has been viewed 23 million times concerning the country’s internet regulator, “The problem you’ve got here with this eSafety Commissioner is she’s an activist. She will continue to expand her role to police the internet, to censor debate in a way that’s consistent with her ideological views … you have these unelected bureaucrats with vague powers and they will fill it with their views. She has a track record of censorship and it only ever targets one side, and unfortunately we’re seeing that happen again.”
Nationals Senator Matt Canavan posited that government’s supposed concern over the content of the video was “confected outrage” hiding the pursuit of “other agendas.”
“The PM seems more upset about a video of a Christian Bishop being attacked than the ACTUAL act of a Christian Bishop being attacked. SHAMEFUL!” Canavan stated on X.
Similarly, United Australia Party Senator Ralph Babet denounced the move by the government as a mere attempt to control information, saying, “Let’s be very clear, the government does not care about Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel. They care about taking down X as X poses a threat to their control of information and narratives. The government and their bureaucrats themselves are regular spreaders of misinformation.”
Bishop Emmanuel was stabbed on Monday, April 15, by an Islamic militant in the middle of a live-streamed homily in Sydney as the man shouted “Allah Akbar.” Several other Christians attending the Divine Liturgy were also stabbed as they ran to the bishop’s defense, but according to local reports, no one suffered life-threatening injuries. Crowds rioted in the immediate aftermath, demanding the assailant be brought to justice.
The graphic video of the attack circulated online showing a man dressed in black approaching the bishop as he preaches and stabbing the bishop several times at the altar in Christ the Good Shepherd Orthodox Church.
New South Wales Police commissioner Karen Webb has since declared the incident a “terrorist act,” and an investigation is underway.
According to reports, after being stabbed, Emmanuel placed a hand on his attacker, prayed for him, and forgave him. The bishop’s subsequent public forgiveness of his assailant echoed his first reaction as his fell injured at the altar.
As huge unrest grew in the streets near the church immediately after the stabbing, several hundred police officers reportedly arrived on the scene with tactical vehicles to contain growing crowds, which gathered to defend their bishop, demanding that the assailant be brought to justice. Police eventually secured a perimeter around the Church and dispersed crowds using tear gas and tactical armor.
Subsequently, in an audio recording posted online, the outspoken Orthodox bishop thanked Our Lord for the sufferings he had been given, forgave his assailant, and called on his flock to likewise forgive the man who attacked him and to abide by the law peacefully.
READ: Australian bishop publicly forgives man who stabbed him, thanks Christ for his suffering
Bishop Emmanuel is known for his outspokenness on moral issues, including strong condemnation of LGBT ideology within Christian churches, especially in Rome, and vocal opposition to the severe Australian COVID lockdowns. He has also spoken publicly about Islam and the need to accept Christ as the Messiah and the Son of God.
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