Australia: ACT Liberals criticise government's treatment of Ahmadiyya Muslim mosque issue

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"This approach seems to have become the modus operandi for the government: dragging their feet or moving the goal posts on vulnerable community groups."

Giulia Jones has criticised the government's approach to the
Ahmadiyya mosque proposal.

Times of Ahmad | News Watch | AU Desk
Source/Credit: The Canberra Times
By Stephen Jeffery | August 7, 2016

The ACT opposition has criticised government delays in finding a suitable site for an Ahmadiyya Muslim mosque in Canberra.

The government has offered a block of land to the Ahmaddiya community at Narrabundah, after two other sites in Rivett and Hume proved to be unsuitable.

The community first expressed an interest in building a dedicated mosque and attached community centre in 2009, but decided not to proceed with a site adjoining the Rivett shops after residents raised parking concerns in late 2014 and early 2015.

The government offered another site at Hume in 2015, but withdrew it when staff found a development application for a mosque in the area would probably be unsuccessful.

Opposition multicultural affairs spokeswoman Giulia Jones said the government showed "a complete lack of respect" for the group through a lack of consultation with nearby landowners.

She told the Legislative Assembly the approach had been "far from welcoming" to the Ahmadiyya community.

"Again, we see the government showing lack of respect for the cultural group and contempt for residents in the area," she said.

"This approach seems to have become the modus operandi for the government: dragging their feet or moving the goal posts on vulnerable community groups."

Multicultural and Youth Affairs Minister Yvette Berry said the government was in a consultation process to determine whether additional spaces, such as public schools and sports facilities, could be opened for multicultural groups to use.

She said processes for the provision of land were in place to ensure transparency.

"The ACT government will continue to provide open and transparent opportunities to all members of the community to access land," she said.

"We have had a lot of conversations this week in the assembly about making sure that we have transparent and clear processes around these matters as a matter of integrity, and it is important for Mrs Jones and others in the assembly to note that the government must continue to follow these clear processes around these matters."

Education Minister Shane Rattenbury said he would investigate whether school buildings could be used within his portfolio to increase the amount of space available to groups, and said the government treated multicultural and multifaith groups with respect.

"As our city grows and more people are attracted to live in our community, I can understand that we are seeing more demand for a range of spaces," he said.

"I am confident that members of the multicultural community are being made aware of the processes required to access the facilities."

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