X claims partial victory after Australian eSafety commissioner drops lawsuit over video of violent attack on Christian bishop



The social media platform owned by tech titan Elon Musk and now known as X is celebrating a decision from the Australian eSafety commissioner to drop a lawsuit in connection with a violent attack on a Christian bishop earlier this year.

'My prophet': A religiously motivated attack on a Christian bishop

Back in April, Assyrian Orthodox Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, 53, was livestreaming a service held at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, just outside Sydney, when a young man suddenly ran to the altar and stabbed Bishop Emmanuel and Fr. Isaac Royel, as Blaze News previously reported.

The suspected assailant, a 16-year-old boy, appeared to be motivated by Islamic extremism, as Bishop Emmanuel has previously criticized the Islamic religion.

"If [Bishop Emmanuel] didn't get himself involved in my religion, if he hadn't spoken about my prophet, I wouldn't have come here. … If he just spoke about his own religion, I wouldn’t have come," the suspect said during the attack, according to the livestream video.

Though the violent stabbing cost the bishop an eye, he has since forgiven his attacker and called him to Christian conversion: "This young man who did this act almost two weeks ago, I say to you, my dear, you are my son and you will always be my son. I will always pray for you. I will always wish you nothing but the best. I pray that my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, to enlighten your heart, enlighten your soul, your entire being — to realize there is only one God who art in heaven. ... That God is Jesus Christ of Nazareth."

'Threaten free speech everywhere': X refuses to censor video

Thanks to the wonders of social media, a video of the brutal attack quickly went viral around the globe — much to the chagrin of Australian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, a woke American previously affiliated with Big Tech. Grant demanded that X remove the video "to protect Australians from" exposure to "this most extreme and gratuitous violent material."

The platform partially complied at first, censoring it in Australia. But when Grant and other Australian officials called for it to be suppressed across the globe, X stood firm.

"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. ... Global takedown orders go against the very principles of a free and open internet and threaten free speech everywhere," said a statement from X's Global Government Affairs team.

Grant pressed on, filing a lawsuit in Australian federal court with a hearing scheduled for late June. However, the suit seemed doomed to fail after a judge denied Grant's request for an injunction against the video while the legal process continued.

'Welcome ... news': Commissioner retreats, drops lawsuit

On Wednesday, Grant announced that she was dropping the federal lawsuit altogether, preferring instead to focus on a separate case involving X. "Our sole goal and focus in issuing our removal notice was to prevent this extremely violent footage from going viral, potentially inciting further violence and inflicting more harm on the Australian community. I stand by my investigators and the decisions eSafety made," she said in a lengthy statement.

'He issued a dog whistle to 181 million users around the globe, which resulted in ... doxxing of my family members, including my three children.'

She also insisted that censoring the video was the right call and praised the platforms that did so, including Meta, Reddit, and TikTok. She then expressed disappointment that X didn't follow suit. "So it was a reasonable expectation when we made our request to remove extremely graphic video of an attack, that X Corp would take action in line with these publicly stated policies and practices," the statement continued.

She even hinted that the decision may have partially resulted from safety concerns, claiming in an interview that Elon Musk's recent comments about the issue have endangered her and her family.

"He issued a dog whistle to 181 million users around the globe, which resulted in death threats directed at me, which resulted in doxxing of my family members, including my three children," she said.

Apparently unfazed by the personal allegations, Musk has since reaffirmed his commitment to keep his platform free. "Freedom of speech is worth fighting for," he tweeted in connection with the story.

X's global leadership team likewise cheered Grant's decision to drop the lawsuit. "We welcome the news that the eSafety Commissioner is no longer pursuing legal action against X seeking the global removal of content that does not violate X’s rules," said X's Global Government Affairs division.

"This case has raised important questions on how legal powers can be used to threaten global censorship of speech, and we are heartened to see that freedom of speech has prevailed."

X filed a lawsuit in Australia's Administrative Appeals Tribunal seeking clarity on whether Grant was in the right to classify the stabbing video as a "class 1" example of "extreme violence material." Grant claims a ruling on the matter from the AAT will provide her with "operational certainty."

The AAT is expected to hear that case sometime next month.

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Bishop stabbed by Islamic terrorist speaks out against Australia's global censorship demands



Australian officials appear desperate to hide video evidence of a recent manifestation of anti-Christian hatred. Whereas Facebook was more than willing to aid in Australia's global censorship initiative, Elon Musk's X has indicated it will not comply.

This resistance has enraged Australian officials, prompting legal action and one senator to even declare that Musk should be imprisoned.

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, the survivor of the Islamic terror attack, cut through all the noise Wednesday, noting that he is not "opposed to the videos remaining on social media" and that freedom of speech is a "God-given right."

Background

A 16-year-old Islamic terrorist savagely stabbed Bishop Emmanuel during his April 15 evening sermon at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Sydney. The attack at the Assyrian Orthodox church would likely have been fatal were it not for the bravery of the priest and parishioners who rushed to the defense of their bloodied leader, subdued the barbarian, and ultimately restored order to the sanctuary.

The attacker, who allegedly targeted the bishop over a perceived slight to Muhammad, apparently belongs to a network of radicals. The Associated Press reported that seven teens were arrested in Sydney Wednesday in connection to the terror attack. Two teens, one age 16 and the other 17, were charged with conspiring to engage in a terrorist act. Another was charged with carrying a knife in public.

The attack at the Christ the Good Shepherd Church was captured on film, providing the world with a stark reminder of a number of apparently inconvenient truths, not least that Christians remain a prime target for hatred, brutality, and repression, even in the welcoming Anglosphere.

Below is the video the Australia government wants us not to be able to view and is trying to censor globally. \n\nThis is the moment when a Jihadi is stabbing a Christian Bishop in Australia. \n\nYou know what to do. Share it as much as possible.\n\n\ud83d\udd0a
— (@)

Censors piggyback on anti-Christian violence

Blaze News previously reported that in the aftermath of the attack, the Australian government worked feverishly to suppress the video online.

X's Global Government Affairs team revealed Friday that the "Australian eSafety Commissioner ordered X to remove certain posts in Australia that publicly commented on the recent attack against a Christian Bishop" even though they had not violated the platform's content rules.

The commissioner is Julie Inman-Grant, an American leftist who previously worked as a government relations professional at Microsoft and Twitter. Despite an early flirtation with the CIA, she claims she never pursued a career with the agency.

Inman-Grant, who now also serves on the World Economic Forum's Global Coalition for Digital Safety and collaborates with the Biden White House's Gender Policy Council, has worked ardently in recent years to censor various other posts online that, while lawful, are offensive to progressive sensibilities.

For instance, she had Australian mother and breastfeeding advocate Jasmine Sussex censored for daring to suggest that men cannot breastfeed. Inman-Grant demanded earlier this year that a Canadian be censored over his criticism of a United Nations-affiliated transvestite. She also demanded that the feminist publication Reduxx take down an article detailing how a transvestite injured female players in a women's soccer game.

True to form, Inman-Grant — deemed the "Australian censorship commisar" by Musk — indicated she would exercise her powers under the Online Safety Act "to formally compel" X to remove the video of the bishop's stabbing.

X initially complied, geo-blocking the video in Australia pending a legal challenge. However, it was then threatened with a daily fine of roughly $500,000 if it didn't also "globally withhold these posts."

The Global Government Affairs team responded, "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. ... Global takedown orders go against the very principles of a free and open internet and threaten free speech everywhere."

An Australian judge ruled Monday that X must block the video across the globe. On Wednesday, the judge exended this order, banning X from showing the video until May 10. Musk has said X will not delete the videos for users based in other countries.

Musk, whose app became the most downloaded news app in Australia earlier this week, posed the question Monday, "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?"

Outrage, uncensored

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters, "By and large, people responded appropriately to the calls by the eSafety Commissioner. X chose not to. They stand, I think — I find it extraordinary that X chose not to comply and trying to argue their case."

The prime minister has suggested that the video evidence of the attack amounts to "misinformation," as do memes of his head photoshopped onto images of other people's bodies.

New South Wales Police Force Commissioner Karen Webb similarly condemned the supposed "misinformation," stating, "I think leading a social media platform should bring with it big social, corporate responsibility."

"I think to have images like that online, they need to be removed immediately and not left up there," added Webb.

Australian Senator Jackie Lambie said, "I think [Elon Musk] a social media nob with no social conscience, he has absolutely no social conscience — someone like that should be in jail and the key be thrown away."

BREAKING\ud83d\udea8\n\nAustralian Senator, Jackie Lambie has called for Elon Musk to be JAILED for not complying to censorship requests from the Australian government\u2026 @elonmusk \n\nFREE SPEECH IS UNDER ATTACK
— (@)

Musk responded, calling Lambie "an enemy of the people of Australia."

Tanya Plibersek, Australia's environment minister, called Musk an "egotistical billionaire," stating that "it's more important for him to have his way than to respect the victims of the crimes that are being shown on social media and to protect our Australian community from the harmful impact of showing this terrible stuff on social media."

The victim central to the controversy kicked out the legs from under Plibersek's argument, indicating he doesn't mind the video being online.

'God-given right'

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel cut through the noise Wednesday, expressing concern in an audio statement that bad actors were using his stabbing "to serve their own political interest to control free speech."

"I do acknowledge the Australian government's desire to have the videos removed because of their graphic nature," said the bishop. "However, noting our God-given right to freedom of speech and freedom of religion, I'm not opposed to the videos remaining on social media."

"I would be of great concern if people use the attack on me to serve their own political interests to control free speech," continued Bishop Emmanuel. "The moment we oppress this very freedom of speech and religion, we are losing the very human identity and dignity as well."

"I do not wish for what has happened to me to be ... a threat to the very human freedom and freedom of religion," added Emmanuel.

Extra to making clear the censorship regime is not acting in his name and expressing forgiveness for his attacker, he stressed his patriotism, noting, "I'm a proud Aussie."

In light of the country's celebration of Anzac Day, he thanked those Aussies who had fought to protect freedom of speech and religion.

Sydney church stabbing: Multiple people injured during service | 7 News Australiayoutu.be

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'Australian censorship commissar' orders X to globally remove video of Islamic terror attack on Christian bishop



A bearded teen complaining in Arabic about insults to Muhammad rushed the sanctuary of an Assyrian Orthodox church in Sydney last week, savagely stabbing Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and Fr. Isaac Royel. Australian officials determined that the attack on Christian clergymen, which was captured on video, was an act of religiously motivated terrorism.

While apparently willing to admit the attack was what it appeared to be on video, the Australian government has attempted to erase the video evidence from social media.

X, formerly known as Twitter, indicated Friday that the Australian government has ordered it to remove the video evidence of the anti-Christian attack. While the platform appeared willing to accommodate the Australian eSafety Commissioner regionally, that apparently was not enough for the Australian state, which has since demanded global censorship of the video.

South African billionaire Elon Musk and his company have effectively told the government to pound sand.

The terror attack

Blaze News previously reported that police were dispatched Monday evening to the Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, a suburb of Sydney, in response to reports that a "number of people were stabbed."

A 16-year-old radical previously charged for knife-related offenses had rushed the altar with a knife concealed in his hand.

In the video the Australian government appears keen to hide from the public, the attacker can reportedly be heard saying, "If he [the bishop] didn't get himself involved in my religion, if he hadn't spoken about my prophet, I wouldn't have come here. … If he just spoke about his own religion, I wouldn’t have come."

The attacker lunges at Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, a past critic of radical Islam, then repeatedly stabs the 53-year-old bishop.

The bishop and the parish priest who was cut up protecting him survived their injuries.

New South Wales Police Force Commissioner Karen Webb indicated Tuesday, "We believe there are elements that are satisfied in terms of religious motivated extremism."

"After consideration of all the material, I declared that it was a terrorist incident," added Webb.

Nothing to see here

X's Global Government Affairs team revealed Friday morning that after the attack, "The Australian eSafety Commissioner ordered X to remove certain posts in Australia that publicly commented on the recent attack against a Christian Bishop. These posts did not violate X's rules on violent speech."

Australia's woke commissar is Julie Inman Grant, an American who allegedly turned down a CIA job to work in the U.S. Congress before heading off to work for Microsoft. The censorious commissioner, who also worked for Twitter as the director of public policy in Australia, has been celebrated by the World Economic Forum as among "the world's most influential leaders revolutionizing government."

Grant indicated last week that she personally was not "satisfied enough is being done to protect Australians from this most extreme and gratuitous violent material circulating online," reported News.com.au.

Seeking satisfaction on the matter, Grant indicated she was "exercising [her] powers under the Online Safety Act to formally compel them to remove it."

While convinced "eSafety's order was not within the scope of Australian law," X initially complied with the directive, geo-blocking the relevant content in Australia pending a legal challenge. However, it was apparently met with a subsequent demand to "globally withhold these posts or face a daily fine of $785,000 AUD (about $500,000 USD)."

The Global Government Affairs team noted, "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. ... Global takedown orders go against the very principles of a free and open internet and threaten free speech everywhere."

Musk noted, "The Australian censorship commissar is demanding *global* content bans!"

Angry censors

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters, "By and large, people responded appropriately to the calls by the eSafety Commissioner. X chose not to. They stand, I think — I find it extraordinary that X chose not to comply and trying to argue their case."

Albanese insinuated that the video evidence of the attack on a Christian cleric amounted to "misinformation."

"We know, I think overwhelmingly, Australians want misinformation and disinformation to stop. This isn't about freedom of expression," said the prime minister. "This is about the dangerous implications that can occur when things that are simply not true, that everyone knows is not true, are replicated and weaponized in order to cause division and in this case to promote negative statements and potentially to just inflame what was a very difficult situation."

"Social media has a social responsibility," added Albanese.

Musk responded Monday, writing, "I'd like to take a moment to thank the PM for informing the public that this platform is the only truthful one."

The tech magnate also noted that it is "absurd for any one country to attempt to censor the entire world."

The prime minister was apparently not the only Aussie official who figured video evidence amounted to "misinformation."

NSWPF Commissioner Web condemned "misinformation," stating, "I think leading a social media platform should bring with it big social, corporate responsibility."

"I think to have images like that online, they need to be removed immediately and not left up there," added Webb.

Tanya Plibersek, Australia's environment minister, suggested Elon Musk's commitment to free speech and transparency just "beggars belief."

"This egotistical billionaire thinks that it's more important for him to be able to show whatever he wants on X or Twitter or whatever you wanna call it today, it's more important for him to have his way than to respect the victims of the crimes that are being shown on social media and to protect our Australian community from the harmful impact of showing this terrible stuff on social media," said Plibersek.

Plibersek enthusiastically noted how Australia has quadrupled the eSafety Commissioner's budget.

With that increased budget, the commissioner had Australian mother and breastfeeding advocate Jasmine Sussex censored for daring to suggest that men cannot breastfeed. The taxpayer-funded commissioner also demanded that X censor Canadian activist Chris Elson over a post criticizing a United Nations-affiliated transvestite.

Australian court demands global censorship

Vastly exceeding his jurisdiction, an Australian judge ruled Monday that X must block the video across the globe.

The Associated Press reported that Justice Geoffrey Kennett demanded that the tech company block all users from seeing the footage, including sovereign American citizens. X has been given 24 hours to "hide" the video.

Stephen Tran, lawyer for the censorious commission, suggested that continued circulation of the footage would cause "irreparable harm."

In the meantime, the Australian censorship regime has been targeting individuals who have shared the video. Popular X user Ian Miles Cheong, for instance, indicated that X had received a report from the Australian government over content he shared but that the platform would not be taking action.

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