A 10-year ban on Islamic immigration to Australia and on the construction of any Islamic schools or mosques is the main election policy for one of Macarthur’s federal election candidates.
Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group) candidate Godwin Goh said his party, if elected, would also lobby the NSW Government and Federal Government to change any anti-vilification or anti-discrimination laws that could make such a proposal illegal. Mr Goh said he wanted: “No Muslim immigration for 10 years, no setting up schools and mosques, too.”
The Liberal MP for Macarthur, Pat Farmer, rejected Mr Goh’s proposal. “Immigration requests need to be analysed on a case-by-case basis,” he said. “You can’t throw a blanket over the top of everybody and say they’re all terrorists and all incite violence. That’s wrong and that’s not the Australian way.”
When asked to respond to Mr Goh’s proposed 10-year ban on Muslim immigration, schools and mosques, the Labor candidate for Macarthur, Nick Bleasdale, said: “Let me make it clear. I’m totally opposed to the development of the new Islamic school and the community has my full support on the issue. Make no mistake, this issue has nothing to do with race.It’s based on the fact that such a large development will undoubtedly have an impact on our semi-rural way of life….”
Mr Goh is opposed to all Islamic schools because, he claims, they teach extreme versions of Islam. He cited as an example an Islamic school in Victoria. “The teacher asked the students who their hero was and they all said Osama binLaden,” he said. “The teachers are brainwashing. Can’t you see it’s brainwashing? What about Australian heroes? Sport heroes? Such brainwashing, this is when these children have been taught this kind of teaching in their formative years. When they grow up they’re going to idolise the greatest of all terrorists….”