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'''Irfan Yusuf''' ({{Langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|عرفان یوسف}}}}) (born in 1969) is an Australian<ref name=bio>{{cite web|access-date=2 June 2009|url=http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2071037.htm|title=Irfan Yusuf|publisher=ABC|date=2 June 2009}}</ref> [[social commentator]]<ref name=bio/> and author of the [[memoir]] ''Once Were Radicals: My years as a teenage Islamo-fascist''.<ref name=oncewerebook>Irfan Yusuf (2009),[http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=94&book=9781741758269 ''Once were radicals – My years as a teenage Islamo-fascist''], Allen and Unwin, May 2009</ref>
==Education and work==
Yusuf was born in [[Karachi]], Pakistan and was raised in Sydney.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}} His father was from [[Pakistan]] and his mother was born in [[India]].<ref name=review>{{cite web|access-date=2 June 2009|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/archive/news/irfan-yusuf-once-were-radicals-my-years-as-a-teenage-islamo-fa/news-story/061fa135520d38dea434303f66ad9fd8|title=Lessons of a wannabe teen hero|first=Mahir|last=Ali|publisher=The Australian|date=2 May 2009}}</ref> He lived in Pakistan and the U.S. for a time, and then returned to Australia and attended [[St Andrew's Cathedral School]] in Sydney.<ref name="The Australian">Jill Rowbotham, Religious affairs writer Portrait of a radical as a young man 13 December 2007 The Australian</ref>
He graduated from [[Macquarie University]] in law and economics.<ref>{{cite speech|author=Yusuf, Irfan|date=20 November 2008|url=http://www.nceis.unimelb.edu.au/event/conference-08-irfan-yusuf-imams-expert-witnesses|event=Conference '08|title=Irfan Yusuf on Imams as Expert Witnesses|publisher=University of Melbourne|___location=Melbourne, Victoria|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218064245/http://www.nceis.unimelb.edu.au/event/conference-08-irfan-yusuf-imams-expert-witnesses|archive-date=18 February 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> He also has a Diploma of Legal Practice from the [[University of Technology, Sydney]].<ref>Australian Homeland Security Research Centre, [http://www.homelandsecurity.org.au/about_us.html#irfan About Us] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090408050849/http://www.homelandsecurity.org.au/about_us.html#irfan |date=8 April 2009 }}</ref> He was admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1994.{{cn|date=July 2025}}
==Political activities==
Yusuf was involved in campus politics prior to joining the [[Liberal Party of Australia (New South Wales Division)|Liberal Party]] in 1993 where he became prominent<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.swf.org.au/component/option,com_events/task,view_detail/agid,238/year,2009/month,05/day,23/Itemid,203/|title = Sydney Writers' Festival - 404 Not Found}}</ref> in its conservative faction.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/ah-the-tears-of-crocodiles/2005/09/02/1125302739180.html | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | title=Ah, the tears of crocodiles | date=3 September 2005}}</ref> In 2005 Yusuf explained "from 1994 to 2002, I was a factional warrior for the non-Group (right-wing) faction of the NSW Liberals."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://planetirf.blogspot.com/2005/09/mrs-bishop-defames-me-under.html|title = Planet Irf: COMMENT: MRS Bishop defames me under Parliamentary Privilege|date = 7 September 2005}}</ref> He was elected to the State Council of the NSW division of the Party from 1996–2000.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/nsw/content/2006/s1694459.htm| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121109005104/http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/nsw/content/2006/s1694459.htm| archive-date = 2012-11-09| title = Stateline NSW| website = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]}}</ref> In 1999, he ran with other members of the Liberal Party for the [[City of Bankstown|Bankstown council]] as part of a group called "New Generation", he was unsuccessful.<ref name=council>{{cite web|access-date=2 June 2009|url=http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/yoursay/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/multiculturalism_the_great_debate_begins/|title=Multiculturalism – the great debate begins|first=Irfan|last=Yusuf|publisher=Daily Telegraph online|date=24 September 2006|archive-date=25 March 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080325002115/http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/yoursay/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/multiculturalism_the_great_debate_begins/|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was also endorsed as [[Liberal Party of Australia]] candidate for the safe Labor seat of [[Division of Reid|Reid]] in the [[2001 Australian federal election|2001 Australian Federal Election]].<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/natint/stories/s1446239.htm The National Interest: 28 August 2005 – The Aussie Mossie<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> He achieved a two-party preferred swing of over 5%.<ref name=result>{{cite web|access-date=2 June 2009|url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/2001/2001repsnsw.txt|title=COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA LEGISLATIVE ELECTION OF 10 NOVEMBER 2001|first=Adam|last=Carr|publisher=Psephos|date=}}</ref>
===Leaving the Liberal Party===
He let his [[Liberal Party of Australia (New South Wales Division)|Liberal Party]] membership lapse in 2002 and in particular became critical of what he said was a takeover of the conservative faction by NSW Member of the Legislative Council [[David Clarke (Australian politician)|David Clarke]].{{citation needed|date=November 2017}} In July 2006, in an episode of ABC's ''Four Corners'',<ref>ABC, 17 July 2006, [http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2006/s1686673.htm The Right Stuff]</ref> he joined other former Liberals in criticising the direction of the Party. He accused Clarke of being willing to exploit [[antisemitism]] and [[homophobia]] to recruit Muslims from Sydney to his party and faction, and that he had made derogatory remarks to him about Jews and homosexuals.<ref name=abc5905>ABC Lateline, 5/9/05, [http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2005/s1453762.htm Clarke denies denigrating Jews, homosexuals]</ref> Clarke vehemently denied Yusuf's claims, threatening legal action which never eventuated.<ref name=abc5905/>
After a scandal involving a racist leaflet emerged during the 2007 election, Yusuf remarked on [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]]'s [[Lateline]] that a member expelled from the Liberal Party was perhaps affected by being "surrounded by bigots."<ref>ABC Lateline, 22 November 2007, [http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2007/s2098666.htm Liberal candidate goes to ground after bogus flyer controversy]</ref>
==Commentator and author==
Yusuf's work has been published in 6 major newspapers<ref>{{cite web |url=http://newmatilda.com/contributor/2952 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2009-04-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090504134957/http://newmatilda.com/contributor/2952 |archive-date=4 May 2009 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> and he has appeared on a number of television and radio programmes.<ref name=ooprofile>Onlinopinion.com, [http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/author.asp?id=3933 Irfan Yusuf], accessed 28 April 2009</ref><ref name="NZ_Herald_10534281">{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/islam/news/article.cfm?c_id=500817&objectid=10534281 |title=Irfan Yusuf: Islam isn't a synonym for terrorism |author=Yusuf, Irfan |date=26 September 2008 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |access-date=5 October 2011}}</ref>
In an online article in September 2005, Yusuf criticised his former factional colleague [[Bronwyn Bishop]], a prominent Liberal member of the [[Australian House of Representatives]].<ref name=smh060905>''Sydney Morning Herald'', 6 September 2005 [http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Bishop-accused-of-keeping-bomb-in-skirt/2005/09/06/1125772516972.html Bishop accused of keeping bomb in skirt]</ref> Bishop had led a campaign to ban the [[muslim headscarf]] in state schools on grounds that it was inconsistent with school uniforms and it was therefore an "iconic emblem of defiance".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2005/s1448343.htm|title = The World Today - Bronwyn Bishop calls for hijab ban in schools|website = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]}}</ref> Yusuf said the campaign was more about discouraging rebelliousness and minimising cultural diversity, and facetiously suggested that dresses were far more of a national security issue: "How do we know that these women aren't hiding bombs under their dress?".<ref name=yusuf060905>Irfan Yusuf, Online Opinion, 6 September 2005, [http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=231 Mrs Bishop and the cloth]</ref> He has previously criticised what he says are Bishop's efforts to "marginalise a key faith-sector of mainstream Australia" as being "most helpful to Osama bin Ladin".<ref name=yusuf060905/> Bishop denied Yusuf's claim, saying it was "stupid" and offensive."<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.abc.net.au/cgi-bin/common/printfriendly.pl?http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/natint/stories/s1447773.htm| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121109045825/http://www.abc.net.au/cgi-bin/common/printfriendly.pl?http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/natint/stories/s1447773.htm| archive-date = 2012-11-09| title = The National Interest: 28 August 2005 - Bronwyn Bishop responds to the Aussie Mossie| website = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]}}</ref> In a speech to the Australian Parliament, Bishop further responded to Yusuf's criticism, declaring that Yusuf was "known for his offensive behaviour towards women".<ref name=smh060905/>
Since then, Yusuf has publicly campaigned against [[violence against women]], particularly in the Muslim community.<ref name="NZ_Herald_10531715">{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10531715 |title=Irfan Yusuf: Violence against women won't stop until men speak out |author=Yusuf, Irfan |date=12 September 2008 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |access-date=5 October 2011}}</ref>
In 2007, Yusuf received the Iremonger award by publishers [[Allen and Unwin]], for his submission "Once were Radicals"<ref>[http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=441 Allen & Unwin – The Iremonger Award<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120519093523/http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=441 |date=19 May 2012 }}</ref> that was published during 2009 as an autobiographical work ''Once Were Radicals: My years as a teenage [[Islamofascism|Islamo-fascist]]''.<ref name=oncewerebook/> In 2008, he was "highly commended" by the [[Jesuit]] publication [[Eureka Street (magazine)|Eureka Street]], for an essay on combating violence against women in Muslim-majority states.<ref>''Eureka Street Extra'', 19 July 2008, [http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=8181 Eureka Street Writers Awards winners announced]</ref>
He was a guest speaker at the [[Sydney Writers Festival]] in 2009, and a description of the event said Irfan "points the finger at mainstream extremism and hypocrisy and is a passionate (and funny) voice of moderation.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
* [http://www.blogger.com/profile/12032825228704836828 Link to Irfan's Blogger profile, listing his 7 blogs]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080215120357/http://www.newmatilda.com/contributor/2952 newmatilda.com – articles by Irfan Yusuf]
* [http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/author.asp?id=3933 Online Opinion – articles by Irfan Yusuf]
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[[Category:
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[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Pakistani emigrants to Australia]]
[[Category:Australian people of Indian descent]]
[[Category:Lawyers from Sydney]]
[[Category:Macquarie Law School alumni]]
[[Category:Pakistani people of Indian descent]]
[[Category:Lawyers from Karachi]]
[[Category:Writers from Karachi]]
[[Category:People from Karachi]]
[[Category:21st-century Australian non-fiction writers]]
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