Slow news day? Why not concoct a dangerous cult conspiracy?
Yesterday morning Victorians awoke to Fairfax-owned radio station 3AW reporting a religious cult declaring itself above Australian law had emerged in Melbourne.
The Kingdom of Yahweh cult had written affidavits to the Prime Minister and Victorian Government ministers stating they refuse to pay drivers licence and car registration fees. The cult had created their own vehicle number plates, “some of which are believed to be booby trapped” with “a police officer recently badly injured trying to remove the plates”. There were also allegations the group planned to illegally stockpile firearms.
Sounded like this crazed group were but one fortified compound away from setting up their own anarchic, dangerous Branch Davidian-type sect.
Except, they weren’t.
Victoria Police hastily held a media conference. Acting Superintendent Eoghan McDonald dismissed claims that the members booby-trapped their number plates and said “It’s important to remember that they don’t preach any violence, they don’t plan to overthrow anyone, they don’t associate themselves with any terrorist groupings, in their own interesting views of the world they regard themselves as being quite law abiding it’s just that they don’t accept the sovereignty of the parliaments”.
In short, there was no need for the public to be concerned by the group. But this didn’t stop some media outlets spreading fear and loathing.
NineMSN: “One of its nastier tricks is to booby trap fake number plates with razor blades and sharp rivets, the report said. At least one police officer was said to have been injured while examining a plate.”
Herald Sun: Kingdom of Yahweh tell police state laws don’t apply to them, “[The cult is] allegedly planning to obtain illegal firearms.”
The Australian: ‘Police chase law-breaking ‘holy sect’, “Victoria police has vowed to pursue law-breaking members of a self-styled cult who do not recognise any laws passed by an Australian parliament.”
The Age: ‘Warning over influence of ‘above the law’ sect’, “A religious sect that is ignoring Victoria’s gun and traffic laws is likely to attract fragile people and push them over the edge, a cult expert has warned. Raphael Aron, the director of Cult Counselling Australia, said news the Kingdom of Yahweh was operating in Melbourne was a concern, especially if it was linked to the House of Yahweh in Abilene, Texas.”
This week’s Wankley could easily be awarded to 3AW for initially irresponsibly reporting outlandish rumours without establishing facts on such a sensitive matter but this week’s gong goes to the Herald Sun and NineMSN for allowing misinformed (wonder why?) racist, ignorant cretins to post comments such as these on their websites:
This is the Aborigines as usual who think they are above the law, if there is doubt then all payments of our tax dollars should stop, we have paid for this country 100 times over with the money we paid them over the years, reconcilliation (sic) what a joke. Do the crime do the time I say.
Posted by: Truthman 6.31pm today
- Posted by Lana, formerly of Canberra on 13/11/2008
These guys sound like Jewish mafia. Be worried.
- Posted by: chickybabe, cairns on 13/11/2008 13:16:09
We use to live in melbourne and even then there was gangs and cults springing up around the south east and northern suburbs,they would terrorise kids going to school on the trains etc, seems the govt letting more and more of these misfits into our country and not screen them properly, they get houses, cars, furniture and payouts from the govt to be here but they don’t want to live by our ways or our laws, they come here bringing what they have learnt in their country its shameful and its so wrong on so many levels, the govt needs to clean up its act, deport them all, sick of them coming here thinking us aussies owe them things, yeah its gonna end up like other misfit countries that think they are above the law and they can do whatever they like, real aussies be answering to them soon, like hell, clean up Melbourne, syd and Adelaide now, deport anyone that isn’t aussie born and bred and give us back our country that our fathers, grandfathers, uncles, etc fought hard for –-
- Posted by: Jack, Melbourne, on 13/11/2008 12:59:54
The group Kingdom of Yahweh operating in Melbourne is believe to have been started by a group from the country of Nigeria. Those black Nigerian hates the Police of their own country so it is not a surprise that they booby trap the fake number plates with razor blades and sharp rivets to hurt the Australian Police. If it is true that the Nigerians of the Cult Kingdom of Yahweh are threatening to stockpile dangerous weapons then the immigration Department should send them back to Nigeria.
Herald Sun, NineMSN, and your choice commentors, may we present this week’s Wankley Award…
at least you mr Walker are single minded enough and seka truth enough to see thru dis little charade. i dont fink dat it was a slow nesw day. i fink dat dis was a deliberate (sp) attempt to crush a minority religious group for daring to fess somthing different othver den da politisized institutionalized corrupt mainstream church. thru da concerted and planned media disinformation avalanche they are easy meat fo da villificationn dont say dat waCo word
The unnecessary WA images of the grieving husband are simple pornography and should be beneath the paper’s dignity. How about a Page Three Girl while the WA is at it?