New South Wales MPs protest against Sydney Islamic school plan

Two New South Wales Members of Parliament have called for the scrapping of a 1,200-student Islamic school in Sydneys southwest.

Melbourne, Dec.20 : Two New South Wales Members of Parliament have called for the scrapping of a 1,200-student Islamic school in Sydney's southwest.

Joining hundreds of residents outside the Camden Civic Centre, Upper house Christian Democrat MP Fred Nile and Liberal Party MP Charlie Lynn highlighted Islam's opposition to Christianity, as a good enough reason to stop the building of the school.

According to The Australian, the Camden Council has received 3,500 public submissions in relation to the development application.

Of those, about 2,700 are complete with names and addresses, and all but 13 oppose the development.

Nile told ABC Radio after the meeting: " ... all the Aussies that are celebrating carols by candlelight this week all over Australia, millions of Australians, are condemned by the Koran.

"And sincere Muslims are supposed to believe this book - the Koran is the word of God, the word of their god, Allah."

Lynn said only 100 Muslim families lived in Camden, and added, "This is an attempt by social engineers to inflict culture shock, if you like on Camden."

Lynn further told Macquarie Radio: "This is what they're objecting about and the other thing is that the location of the school is totally in breach of the planning requirements for a school of this type. "This development is smack on, adjacent to, a flood plain and heritage area."

The council is expected to make its decision on the school by March, but Camden Mayor Chris Patterson would not speculate on how the council would vote.

He told Macquarie Radio that all development applications are reviewed according to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and a refusal would not necessarily mean the applicants would appeal to the Land and Environment Court (LEC).

ANI