Islamic school imbroglio takes new turn in Australia

By Neena Bhandari, NewKerala.com A new dimension has been added to the ongoing furore over the rejection of a plan to build an Islamic school on Sydney's south-western fringes by some muslims warning that it would lead to extremist Islamic teaching.

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Australian Federation of Islamic Councils president Ikebal Patel told the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) that Islamic schools monitored by the State Government should be encouraged "or else Muslim children will be given their religious education in backyards and garages by... teachers whose credentials no one could vet. You may have some very extreme imams or religious teachers getting through to the children." Meanwhile, the developers of the A$19 million 1,200-student school, the Quranic Society, will be appealing to the Land and Environment Court against Camden Council's rejection of its proposal on planning, which includes increased traffic and lack of public transport, and environmental grounds. "We have complied with the law, we have done everything right, we hired master planners. There was no reason for it to be rejected. Even the council could not say what was wrong with the plan," Quranic Society board member Fouad Chami told The Australian. When asked if he believed the decision was racist, Chami told Channel Ten: "Of course, there is no reason to say no if you're complying 100 per cent with the rules.'' Five years ago, the Baulkham Hills Shire Council in Sydney's north had rejected a businessman's plans for building a Muslim prayer hall on the grounds that it did not fit with community characteristics. The decision was overturned by the Land and Environment Court. More...

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