A politician speaks out

Although Rev Fred Nile of the NSW parliament has made a rather diluted statement in which he only refers to Muslims, he should nevertheless be both congratulated and encouraged to cut immigration back to take in only those racial groups who will not form antagonistic racial or religious friction.

It might also be beneficial to inform him that politicians and their fellow travellers who for so long have smeared concerned citizens as racists, racial supremist and bigots should now be rounded up and face a Jury to determine their guilt and punished accordingly.

THE NSW election campaign has become entangled in a debate over Muslim immigration after the leader of the Christian Democratic Party called for an immediate halt to Islamic immigrants.

Reverend Fred Nile, the longest-serving member of the NSW Legislative Council, made the comments at a gathering in the Sydney suburb of North Ryde yesterday. He said there has been no serious study of the potential effects on Australia of more than 300,000 Muslims who are already here, and Australians deserved some breathing space. In the meantime, Australia should extend a welcoming hand to the many thousands of persecuted Christians who are presently displaced or at risk in the Middle East. "I pray that within a decade, Muslims in Australia will clearly have demonstrated their commitment to Aussie values including democratic pluralism and the rights of women. We can then assess whether Muslim immigration should begin again," he said.

NSW Premier Morris Iemma, whose southwestern Sydney seat of Lakemba has a large Muslim population, said today he did not agree with Mr Nile's comments but said immigration was a federal issue. "Those that are prepared to abide by our laws, our values, work hard and pass the criteria are welcome regardless of who they are, where they come from, the colour of their skin," he said. The Ethnic Communities Council (ECC) of NSW rejected Mr Nile's statements, saying the overwhelming majority of Australian Muslims were law-abiding citizens. "We must avoid policies that echo the old White Australia policy," ECC vice chair Justin Li said. "Religious and national backgrounds should never be the criteria for determining a person's eligibility to migrate into Australia or to become an Australian citizen." - with AAP

A NEW Muslim political party will be formed by the end of the year, top Islamic cleric Sheik Taj al-Din al-Hilali predicts.

Speaking through an interpreter, the mufti has told ABC Radio Australian Muslims need proper political representation.

Sheik Hilali, who has already established a political committee of Muslim community elders, said forming a party was the next step.

"There's a new committee with people who have some experience in politics and most certainly in the future there must be something along those lines," he said.