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Here we go...Lakemba, Auburn, Bankstown:

Muslim leader attacks Hilali's state poll plan
David King and Imre Salusinszky
January 22, 2007

A PROMINENT Islamic leader has described Australian Mufti Taj Din al-Hilali's plans to field Muslim candidates at the NSW election as "about as helpful as Pauline Hanson getting back into politics".
Australian Federation of Islamic Councils legal adviser Haset Sali made the comment yesterday after Sheik Hilali called for a "shake-up" of Australian politics and revealed plans to recruit and endorse Muslim candidates in at least three western Sydney seats.
Sheik Hilali backed away from plans to personally contest the Sydney seat of Lakemba, held by NSW Premier Morris Iemma, but plans to enlist candidates to run as independents in three Labor-held seats.

Mr Iemma called on Sheik Hilali to bring it on, so that Muslim voters had the opportunity to "reject his lunacy".

"Don't hide behind another candidate. If you want to challenge, challenge yourself," he said. "It will be an opportunity for decent, right-thinking people of that community to reject the lunacy that he's put up."

Sheik Hilali's spokesman, Keysar Trad, said the plan was to field candidates in the seats of Bankstown, Auburn and Lakemba and use their preferences to "get politicians to lift their game".

Lebanese Muslim Association president Tom Zreika, who has close ties to the Liberal Party, said the sheik had a big support base. "He'll have a lot of support in the community. As to whether he's going to win, that's another question," he told Network Ten.

State Labor secretary Mark Arbib challenged the Coalition and the Greens to declare if they would direct preferences toward Sheik Hilali's candidates.

"Peter Debnam and the Liberals must come clean on their plan to run a candidate linked with the mufti against Premier Iemma," he said. "The sheik's main supporter, Tom Zreika, is a senior Liberal Party member and a Liberal councillor on Auburn city council; it begs the question, what role is Peter Debnam and the Liberal Party playing?"

NSW Opposition Leader Peter Debnam said Sheik Hilali should "stay out of politics and stay overseas".

"He's got no positive contribution to make. His divisive and offensive attitudes are not welcome," he said.

The sheik is expected to return to Sydney this week from Egypt to meet with Muslim community leaders and select candidates.

Mr Zreika said he thought a mufti-backed candidate would win community support. "The Muslims vote as a block, there are votes there for him," he said.

Sheik Hilali is considered the most senior Islamic figure in Australia.

Mr Trad ruled himself out of contention as a candidate.