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Howard: Parts of Muslim culture antagonistic to Australians
 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 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," Howard told reporters in Sydney. "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."
| How many American politicans would be willing to say that? |
Ameer Ali, the head of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, acknowledged there are some pockets of islamofascism 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 in a telephone interview. "But those views will change in some time."
| Change in which direction? |
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 islamofascist conservative ideas ... and they should be kept out of the country for the sake of harmony and peace in Australia," Ali said."We have to screen people much more closely," he added. "If they are troublemakers keep them out."
| That's so sensible that it has no chance of being implemented. |
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," Trad said.
Trad acknowledged the existence of islamofascist conservative segments within the Muslim community, but criticized Howard for failing to single out other extremist voices in Australia.
| One speech, one group. He'll get to the left in his next speech. |
| Update: Dan Darling notes this article from The Australian, which is pretty much the same story with a couple different quotes. |
Posted by: Steve White 2006-02-20 |
