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PM fails to support freedom of religious
expression
Senator Nettle, 29th August 2005 Greens
Senator Kerry Nettle today accused the Prime Minister of failing to support
freedom of religious expression in his half-hearteded rejection of a proposal to
ban the wearing of headscarves by Muslim schoolgirls as 'impractical'.
"The right to wear a headscarf if you are a Muslim schoolgirl is surely a matter
of cultural and religious freedom which the Prime Minister appears not to
understand," Senator Nettle said.
"Freedom of religion is an Australian value - that is the message John Howard
should be sending - not that banning headscarves is simply impractical.
"The Prime Minister cannot on the one hand claim to support a better
relationship with Muslim Australians whilst at the same time allowing ministers
and backbenchers to make veiled attacks on Muslims which pander to racist views.
"Last week both Peter Costello and Brendan Nelson suggested that some Muslim
Australian's should be deported or 'clear off' if they did not support
government ministers' concepts of Australian values.
"The Greens welcome the diversity of cultural, religious and linguistic
communities in Australia and support policies that encourage and celebrate this
diversity.
"The Muslim community is already under pressure from negative press coverage the
role of Ministers and back benchers should be to support multiculturalism not
imply that a community might be anti-Australian.
"State schools have been celebrating diversity for decades and should be
supported for the community building efforts they make."
Contact - Jon Edwards 0428 213 146
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