Today’s broadsheets contain two stories about politicians meeting with people. The Fairfax papers report Howard meeting with representatives of Exclusive Brethren, including a member being investigated for election funding irregularities.

The Brethren aren’t exactly known for their commitment to the values of integration Mr Howard so fervently preaches to non-Christian minorities.

Then The Australian reports responses from ministers (and lack of response from Julia Gillard) over their meeting with controversial American psychiatrist Dr Wafa Sultan who argues that “the West has to monitor the majority of Muslims because you don’t know when they’re ready to be activated. Because they share the same basic belief [as terrorists] …”.

Predictably, Janet Albrechtsen supports Sultan and attacks an American rabbi who is critical of Sultan’s anti-Muslim diatribe. The rabbi’s perspective can be found here.

Naturally, the pollies are all using the same excuse – they are happy to meet with anyone who asks. In the case of a local group, that might be understandable. But does Mr Downer make time for overseas visitors knocking on his door, even if they have little significant to say about his portfolio or a matter concerning his electorate? Downer’s meeting won’t go down well in Jakarta or KL. Indonesians must be asking themselves whether he’d have made time to see someone who said the same things about Jews or Christians.

Richard Kerbaj reported Sultan’s visit was sponsored by a shadowy group calling itself “Multi-Net”. Crikey received a tip-off that the group includes one Dr Mark Durie, a Melbourne Anglican priest and former linguistics associate professor who acted as a witness for the two Danny’s in the Catch-The-Fire Ministries case.

Durie claimed that Sultan’s tour was kept deliberately secret due to concerns about her security. “She’s got two fatwas out on her”. When asked to define what these fatwas were (or indeed what a fatwa is), Durie became evasive. “I’m not going to buy into this.”

Why would Multi-Net keep her Aussie visit secret? Ayaan Hirsi Ali visited Australia with much fanfare and without any security incidents. Most Muslims ignored her. Heck, even a big boofy Muslim bloke like me managed to score an interview with her for NewMatilda.com, and there were no guards present.

Further, why would the average Muslim care about what Sultan says? She belongs to the fringe Alawite sect which (for many Muslims) is to mainstream Islam what the Church of Scientology is to mainstream Christianity.

Again, the double standards are obvious. DIAC-head Kevin Andrews refused entry to Muslim speakers with less extreme and radical views. Yet he allows a woman whose personal jihad consists of telling everyone that 1.2 billion Muslims are our enemy.

Yet it also shows the growing influence of evangelical Christian fundamentalists with extreme agendas on our politicians. Durie is close to the Australian Christian Lobby which Howard and Rudd recently addressed. ACL doesn’t exactly have an ecumenical approach to interfaith relations.

Yes, politicians can and should meet with whoever asks for a meeting. But they are also stretched for time. The people they choose to meet will reflect their priorities. Speaking of which, yesterday I wrote that Foreign Minister Alexander Downer had not attended any functions or gatherings of any Australian Muslim group or community.

In fact, I have been informed by a source that Mr Downer attended a function of the al-Faisal Islamic College in Auburn in June 2007. This in itself is interesting. The al-Faisal College is managed by a well-known Saudi financier.

Mr Downer has in the past expressed concern about Saudi funding of Muslim institutions (including a mosque in South Australia) and the nefarious influence of the Wahhabi sect.