Young Oz kids to be taught Islamic tenets at new Sydney center

Sydney, Dec.10 (ANI): A group founded by a Muslim extremist plans to build a huge complex in Sydney to teach young people Islam.

In what it says is a world first, the Global Islamic Youth Center is trying to raise over six million dollars to build a giant "prayer, learning and sporting" facility in the Sydney suburb of Liverpool.

It has already raised 700,000 dollars towards a million dollar land purchase.

The organization, according to the Daily Telegraph, expects local Muslims to almost double to 20,000 in the next decade and notes that a third of the population is under 19. It also says it wants to attract youth from across Sydney.

Sheik Feiz Mohammad and others founded the GYIC in 2000 to "cater for the physical, social, educational and religious needs, especially for the youth and the children, in accordance with the teachings of the Quran".

Sheik Feiz remains the most prominent spiritual leader of the center, which features a direct email link to him on its home page so students can "seek Islamic knowledge" from him.

The Sheik was exposed two years ago for having called on children to sacrifice themselves to Allah, describing Jews as "pigs" and calling non-believers "filth".

A spokesman for the centre confirmed that the Sheik remained "a figurehead" and that his books and DVDs, which include repeated calls for "jihad martyrdom", would be available at the new facility, which is still at the concept stage.

The Liverpool Council said it was not aware of any development application for the centre, even though its blueprints have been released in a prospectus, accompanied by a virtual tour of the building. (ANI)