Mufti Sheik Haron is accused of sending mail to families of seven Australians who died during the last two years.

A self-styled sheik has been arrested in Australia over letters sent to widows of soldiers killed in Afghanistan, accusing their partners of murder, as Canberra mulls an early withdrawal from the troubled country.

The Iranian-born Muslim spiritual leader, who calls himself Mufti Sheik Haron, was charged with sending hate mail to families of seven Australian soldiers killed fighting Taliban and al Qaeda militants in Afghanistan over a two-year period.

“I feel bad that you have lost your son but I don’t feel bad that a murderer of innocent civilians has lost his life,” Haron allegedly wrote to the family of one Australian commando killed in January, the Daily Telegraph newspaper said on Thursday.

Haron denied the charges after his arrest. But New South Wales state Premier Nathan Rees said on Thursday that if proven true, the letters were an “evil act of cowardice.”

Australia, a close U.S. ally, has 1,550 troops in Afghanistan, including special forces, and is the largest non-NATO troop contributor. Ten Australian soldiers have died fighting alongside Dutch forces in southern Oruzgan province.- Reuters

While I find what Heron wrote to be despicable, I have always strongly felt that speech shouldn’t be a crime. I’ve defended people from Ann Coulter to Cindy Sheehan in their right to express themselves. That hasn’t stopped me from criticizing them also.

Letting the government regulate or criminalize speech is a quick way to put a free society in jeopardy.