LightHorseman
12-14-2006, 09:09 PM
Enjoy...
Hage-Ali attacks "media beat-up"
Friday Dec 15 13:57 AEDT
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/img/national/1312_hageali_g.jpg
Muslim youth leader Iktimal Hage-Ali has made an emotional attack on the "media beat-up" which led her to relinquish her title of NSW Young Australian of the Year.
Controversy engulfed Ms Hage-Ali when it was revealed this week she had been arrested last month in connection with a Sydney drug bust, eight days before receiving her award.
The 22-year-old handed the award back on Thursday, saying it would be "selfish" to hold on to it due to the negative publicity surrounding her.
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VIDEO: Cocaine sting (javascript:window.open('http://ninemsn.video.msn.com/v/en-au/v.htm?f=39&g=18912f0a-95df-427f-a206-c49e422dff70&p=aunews_aunationalninenews&t=s29&mediaid=29307');void(0);)
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Ms Hage-Ali, a member of Prime Minister John Howard's Muslim Community Reference Group, was questioned and then released last month by Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad detectives investigating an alleged cocaine supply ring.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0 wrapType="medium"><TBODY><TR><TD>http://ninemsn.com.au/Share/ads/a.gif</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://ninemsn.com.au/9msnshared/images/space.gif</TD></TR><TR><TD><SCRIPT language=javascript type=text/javascript>var JS_SITE;var JS_SECTION;var JS_SUB_SECTION;var JS_AD_MEM_TAG;var JS_PAGE_COBRAND;function GetCobrandAdStr__633017883106546239() { if (JS_PAGE_COBRAND != undefined && JS_PAGE_COBRAND != '') { return '/COBRAND='+JS_PAGE_COBRAND; } else { return ''; }}spac_writeAd('/SITE='+JS_SITE+'/AREA='+JS_SECTION+'/SUBSECTION='+JS_SUB_SECTION+'/LOC=TOP/AAMSZ=MEDIUM'+JS_AD_MEM_TAG+GetCobrandAdStr__63301 7883106546239());</SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://direct.ninemsn.com.au/jnserver/SITE=NEWS/AREA=NATIONAL/SUBSECTION=SYDNEY/LOC=TOP/AAMSZ=MEDIUM/REFERRAL=GOOGLE/PAGEID=1166151922718/ACC_RANDOM=1166151939093?"></SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT>http://direct.ninemsn.com.au/scripts/accipiter/nserver/SITE=NEWS/AREA=NATIONAL/SUBSECTION=SYDNEY/LOC=TOP/AAMSZ=MEDIUM/NOJAVASCRIPT=TRUE (http://direct.ninemsn.com.au/scripts/accipiter/adclick/SITE=NEWS/AREA=NATIONAL/SUBSECTION=SYDNEY/LOC=TOP/AAMSZ=MEDIUM)</NOSCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>She has not been charged and has declared she is innocent.
Frequently close to tears and with a voice choked with emotion, Ms Hage-Ali criticised recent reports in the Daily Telegraph as "inaccurate".
The Telegraph reported her as having said: "I have made some poor judgments and I have made some mistakes and I regret it."
She was particularly unhappy at being linked in the paper to a black Porsche with a number-plate "FE1ONY" ("FE1ONY"), whose occupants reportedly threatened journalists outside Hage-Ali's Punchbowl home.
"In today's paper I am linked to a black Porsche, I don't know anyone that drives a black Porsche," Ms Hage-Ali told ABC Radio.
"So that's another inaccurate report. There's many Hage-Alis who aren't related to me, I can assure you they weren't outside my house, the reporters, when they were abused.
"I don't know whose house they were outside of but it wasn't mine and I don't know whose that black Porsche (is)."
She said it was also not true that her employment at the NSW Attorney General's Office was under review.
Ms Hage-Ali maintains she is on mutually agreed leave "until she is emotionally able to return".
She also took issue with reports describing her as a personal assistant rather than her true position as a project officer.
However, Ms Hage-Ali said she was unable to confirm or deny whether she had abused cocaine, as reported, due to the case of the men arrested in the bust being before the court.
Ms Hage-Ali said she was afraid of defending herself against the media reports lest she add to her woes.
"Anything I say can put me in contempt of court and I've got enough things happening, that's something else I'm scared of doing," she said.
The 22-year-old lamented that the fact her release without charge had done nothing to temper the controversy surrounding her.
She said she had been assured that no charges would be laid against her in future.
"All this media beat-up is...(trails off) I haven't been charged, I haven't been charged," Ms Hage-Ali said.
"I think that throughout all this reporting one thing that seems to get lost is that I was not charged and I will not be charged according to advice I have received from senior police."
Ms Hage-Ali said she planned to return to employment once the furore had died down and continue her work in the Muslim community
Hage-Ali attacks "media beat-up"
Friday Dec 15 13:57 AEDT
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/img/national/1312_hageali_g.jpg
Muslim youth leader Iktimal Hage-Ali has made an emotional attack on the "media beat-up" which led her to relinquish her title of NSW Young Australian of the Year.
Controversy engulfed Ms Hage-Ali when it was revealed this week she had been arrested last month in connection with a Sydney drug bust, eight days before receiving her award.
The 22-year-old handed the award back on Thursday, saying it would be "selfish" to hold on to it due to the negative publicity surrounding her.
RELATED LINKS
VIDEO: Cocaine sting (javascript:window.open('http://ninemsn.video.msn.com/v/en-au/v.htm?f=39&g=18912f0a-95df-427f-a206-c49e422dff70&p=aunews_aunationalninenews&t=s29&mediaid=29307');void(0);)
VOTE: Was it the right thing? (javascript:window.open('/vote.aspx?qid=3531','_blank','resizable=0,menubar= 0,scrollbars=0,status=0,toolbar=0,width=300,height =300');void(0))
Ms Hage-Ali, a member of Prime Minister John Howard's Muslim Community Reference Group, was questioned and then released last month by Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad detectives investigating an alleged cocaine supply ring.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0 wrapType="medium"><TBODY><TR><TD>http://ninemsn.com.au/Share/ads/a.gif</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://ninemsn.com.au/9msnshared/images/space.gif</TD></TR><TR><TD><SCRIPT language=javascript type=text/javascript>var JS_SITE;var JS_SECTION;var JS_SUB_SECTION;var JS_AD_MEM_TAG;var JS_PAGE_COBRAND;function GetCobrandAdStr__633017883106546239() { if (JS_PAGE_COBRAND != undefined && JS_PAGE_COBRAND != '') { return '/COBRAND='+JS_PAGE_COBRAND; } else { return ''; }}spac_writeAd('/SITE='+JS_SITE+'/AREA='+JS_SECTION+'/SUBSECTION='+JS_SUB_SECTION+'/LOC=TOP/AAMSZ=MEDIUM'+JS_AD_MEM_TAG+GetCobrandAdStr__63301 7883106546239());</SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://direct.ninemsn.com.au/jnserver/SITE=NEWS/AREA=NATIONAL/SUBSECTION=SYDNEY/LOC=TOP/AAMSZ=MEDIUM/REFERRAL=GOOGLE/PAGEID=1166151922718/ACC_RANDOM=1166151939093?"></SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT>http://direct.ninemsn.com.au/scripts/accipiter/nserver/SITE=NEWS/AREA=NATIONAL/SUBSECTION=SYDNEY/LOC=TOP/AAMSZ=MEDIUM/NOJAVASCRIPT=TRUE (http://direct.ninemsn.com.au/scripts/accipiter/adclick/SITE=NEWS/AREA=NATIONAL/SUBSECTION=SYDNEY/LOC=TOP/AAMSZ=MEDIUM)</NOSCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>She has not been charged and has declared she is innocent.
Frequently close to tears and with a voice choked with emotion, Ms Hage-Ali criticised recent reports in the Daily Telegraph as "inaccurate".
The Telegraph reported her as having said: "I have made some poor judgments and I have made some mistakes and I regret it."
She was particularly unhappy at being linked in the paper to a black Porsche with a number-plate "FE1ONY" ("FE1ONY"), whose occupants reportedly threatened journalists outside Hage-Ali's Punchbowl home.
"In today's paper I am linked to a black Porsche, I don't know anyone that drives a black Porsche," Ms Hage-Ali told ABC Radio.
"So that's another inaccurate report. There's many Hage-Alis who aren't related to me, I can assure you they weren't outside my house, the reporters, when they were abused.
"I don't know whose house they were outside of but it wasn't mine and I don't know whose that black Porsche (is)."
She said it was also not true that her employment at the NSW Attorney General's Office was under review.
Ms Hage-Ali maintains she is on mutually agreed leave "until she is emotionally able to return".
She also took issue with reports describing her as a personal assistant rather than her true position as a project officer.
However, Ms Hage-Ali said she was unable to confirm or deny whether she had abused cocaine, as reported, due to the case of the men arrested in the bust being before the court.
Ms Hage-Ali said she was afraid of defending herself against the media reports lest she add to her woes.
"Anything I say can put me in contempt of court and I've got enough things happening, that's something else I'm scared of doing," she said.
The 22-year-old lamented that the fact her release without charge had done nothing to temper the controversy surrounding her.
She said she had been assured that no charges would be laid against her in future.
"All this media beat-up is...(trails off) I haven't been charged, I haven't been charged," Ms Hage-Ali said.
"I think that throughout all this reporting one thing that seems to get lost is that I was not charged and I will not be charged according to advice I have received from senior police."
Ms Hage-Ali said she planned to return to employment once the furore had died down and continue her work in the Muslim community