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'Some Muslims are a problem'
20/02/2006 10:45 - (SA)
Sydney - Prime Minister John Howard on Monday defended remarks he made to a national newspaper describing some segments of the Islamic community as "utterly antagonistic" to Australian society.
In an interview with The Australian newspaper published on Monday, Howard decried the "extreme attitudes" held by some segments of the Islamic community, and said some Muslim immigrants had not integrated into Australian society as well as previous waves of European and Asian migrants.
The comments sparked criticism from at least one Muslim community group.
"I stand by those comments that there is a small section of the Islamic population in Australia that, because of its remarks about jihad, remarks which indicate an extremist view, that is a problem," said Howard.
"It is not a problem that we have ever faced with other immigrant communities who become easily absorbed by Australia's mainstream," he added.
Howard also expressed concern about Muslim attitudes toward women.
"There is within some sections of the Islamic community an attitude towards women which is out of line with mainstream Australian society," he said. "It needs to be dealt with by the broader community, including Islamic Australia."
Pockets of conservatism
Ameer Ali, the head of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, acknowledged there are some pockets of conservatism within Australia's Islamic community, but said he was confident those views would soften in time.
"When you have 400 000 people in this country from a certain community there will always be people of different views and opinions and attitudes," he said. "But those views will change in some time."
Ali said Australia should not close its borders to immigrants from Muslim countries, but should enact stricter screening to keep extremists out.
"There are people who are coming with some conservative ideas... and they should be kept out of the country for the sake of harmony and peace in Australia," said Ali.
"We have to screen people much more closely," he added. "If they are troublemakers keep them out."
"Quite disappointed"
The founder of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia, Keysar Trad, said he was "quite disappointed" with Howard's remarks.
"I think his comments will disappoint many mainstream Muslims because they come out of left field and they will not be seen just as criticism of a minority," said Trad.
Trad acknowledged the existence of conservative segments within the Muslim community, but criticised Howard for failing to single out other extremist voices in Australia.
Police have alleged that white supremacist groups were partially responsible for spurring a December 11 riot by thousands of white youths, many of them drunk, to protest the beating a week earlier of two lifeguards on a south Sydney beach by a group of men identified by witnesses as being of Lebanese descent.
- AP
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