Muslims and anti-racists protest as council votes to reject Narre Warren mosque

The City of Casey council in south-east Melbourne has capitulated to a campaign by racist anti-Islam activists and rejected an application to build a mosque and Islamic community hub in Narre Warren North.

The council received 1,003 objections to the development, most of which argued that the mosque threatened the “character” of the area. The motion was carried unanimously.

The decision is not all that surprising considering that mayor Sam Aziz has made no secret of his Islamophobic views in the past. And councillor Rosalie Crestani is deputy president of right wing Christian fundamentalist party Rise Up Australia, which has fascist links.

She held up a sign during the meeting saying, “Narre Warren North residents said to me: radicalisation and terrorism risks of Islamic mosques should be considered in decision making”.

Mayor Aziz spoke to his motion. He seemed on a mission to insult repeatedly the mosque applicants. Aziz praised racist locals for “respectfully” submitting their “legitimate objections”; he thanked them for their “genuine concerns”.

To add insult to injury, Aziz angrily chastised the Muslim community for daring to speak to the media and voice their dissent. He then had the audacity to claim that Australia is an open and equal country that does not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity!

The mosque is needed to cater for the region’s rapidly growing population of 120 different nationalities, including Urdu-speaking Muslims from India and Pakistan. The few local mosques in surrounding suburbs are overflowing at the busiest prayer times and on special holy days. Furthermore, most services are conducted in languages other than English and none in Urdu.

Narre Warren North, with average household incomes 33 percent higher than densely populated, multi-ethnic neighbouring suburbs, is home to only 6,200 residents, representing 2.5 percent of the Casey population. The council is pandering to relatively well-off white bigots who are determined to keep Muslims out. As one local Muslim woman said: “By excluding our facilities from these areas, they’re pushing us into ghettos”.

Objectors have gained a hearing from some people who would not consider themselves racist with the claim that the development is not suitable for “that site”, a green wedge. But green wedges have been set aside for non-residential development.

A permit can be sought for no less than 40 uses including schools, places of worship, sport and recreation facilities and rural industry. The mosque applicants bought the land in good faith. What are they supposed to do with the land now? No doubt council will be happy to pocket the rates.

Local Muslim Jamil feels that “Muslims have been cowed and intimidated for too long now”. Mosque supporters left the meeting chanting in unison: “The mosque is welcome, racists are not!” and “We’ll be back!” Outside, Muslims and other anti-racist activists joined to chant “Build the mosque!”

Despite the loss of this round, the mood was defiant. Spirits were buoyed because, by attending the meeting in a unified and organised fashion, we took a public stand and put councillors on notice. One local Muslim woman, Inaz, said: “The amount of people who turned up to stand up against division in Casey was extremely heartening; the place felt electric!”

Saarban Islamic Trust plans to resubmit, confident of growing local support.