New planning rules 'target muslims'

By BARCLAY CRAWFORD
From:The Sunday Telegraph
November 14, 2010 12:00AM

MUSLIMS claim they are the targets of new planning laws preventing religious groups from taking over empty churches abandoned by other faiths in south-western Sydney.

The controversial regulations have been proposed by Canterbury Council - which includes the Islamic community strongholds of Belmore, Campsie, Canterbury and Lakemba.

The move is being backed by the Labor mayor Robert Furolo, who is also the state MP for the seat of Lakemba, and residents opposed to a mosque on the site of an ex-Roselands church.

The new planning controls would require all religious bodies to adhere to strict planning guidelines in residential areas.

Planning laws in most NSW local government areas do not require religious organisations to make a new application to council if they buy a site zoned as a place of worship for use by another faith.

But Canterbury's planning order would require a new approval for each purchase and restrict service times. Muslims pray five times a day.

The regulations follow a long-running controversy over the redevelopment of a former Chinese church as a mosque in Ludgate St, Roselands.

Many in the Muslim community believe the council is playing the race card in the lead-up to the state election.

"Robert Furolo wants to stir up the anti-Muslim thing," Ahmad Kamaledine, who is a director of the Lebanese Muslim Association, said. "He wants people outside screaming and shouting and getting emotional about this."

But Mr Furolo said the planning control would streamline processes. "The most controversial planning decisions are those surrounding places of worship. They create more controversy than brothels." He said he was not anti-Muslim.

Ludgate St resident Ron Howe said he knew the official reason residents opposed the mosque was because it would bring too much traffic to the quiet residential area. But there was another reason.

"Of course it's got to do with the fact they are Muslim," the resident of 42 years said. "There's a real feeling they [Muslims] are taking over around here.

"They already have at least three mosques in the area; why do they need another one?"

Frank Waring, 72, feels the same way.

"They will take over the whole neighbourhood if they open the mosque," he said.

The mosque, which initially involved former Bulldogs star Hazem El Masri and boxer Anthony Mundine, has been approved for three days a week but wants to operate from 4.30am-11pm daily.

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