Australian navy sailors sacked over anti-Islamic remarks on social media

MELBOURNE: Several Australian navy sailors have been sacked or ordered to justify their jobs after allegedly posting 'anti-Islamic' comments on social media. The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) said the decision was a follow up from January media reports which led to an internal probe into the fact some sailors engaged in Operation Sovereign Borders had been posting anti-Islamic comments on social media.

"Several sailors have had their employment terminated or have been issued with notices of cause for termination. Others have received a range of disciplinary punishments or other administrative sanctions including formal warnings and either formal or informal counselling depending on the circumstances of the case," the RAN said in a statement.

"Inappropriate behaviour on social media is unacceptable in Navy because of the damage it causes to others and the impact it can have on us successfully achieving our mission," it said.

The reports had claimed at least 20 of them were members of the Australian Defence League, an anti-Islamic group affiliated with the English Defence League, which has often led violent street marches in the UK.

A statement released today by Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Ray Griggs said that while no serving member of the Navy has been found to be a member of the Australian Defence League, a number of personnel have been found to have made inappropriate comment on social media or to have an affiliation with different social media groups that are not consistent with Navy values.

It said due to the Privacy Act, the Navy "cannot provide specific information on the outcome of the individual cases that have been investigated, particularly where individuals have been named or 'outed' in the public domain".