Bernardi, Christensen fight for anti-Islam society, by Chip Le Grand.

The Coalition’s self-styled conservative warriors Cory Bernardi and George Christensen will ­appear at a fundraising dinner to help an anti-Islam organisation and three members of a rival ­political party defend themselves in defamation ­proceedings.

Senator Bernardi said he agreed to speak at the Q Society fundraiser after he was ­approached by Kirralie Smith, the Australian Liberal Alliance’s lead Senate candidate for NSW at this year’s federal election and one of the respondents to a defamation lawsuit bought by Halal meat certifier Mohamed El-Mouelhy. …

Mr Christensen said Ms Smith had been “victimised’’ over her scrutiny of the Halal certification industry. …

The case, which has been set down for a five-week jury trial in the NSW Supreme Court in March, centres on two videos narrated by Ms Smith and published by the Q Society.

Mr El-Mouelhy claims the videos carry the imputations that he is corrupt, dishonest, funds terrorism and is party to a global Islamic plot to destroy Australian values.

The Q Society and three of its officeholders are named alongside Ms Smith as respondents. The office holders named in the lawsuit include alliance president and West Australian Senate candidate Debbie Reynolds and secretary Ralph Schumann.

The Q Society is holding dinners in Sydney and Melbourne to raise funds to ­defend the claim and prosecute a cross-claim against Mr El-Mouelhy for calling them bigoted and racist in ­social media posts.

hat-tip Stephen Neil