'Islamic school in Camden, a breeding ground for terrorists'

Sydney, Apr 23 (ANI): Camden's residents have united to condemn the Quranic Society, which wants to build an Islamic school in Camden, south west of Sydney for espousing views which are "incompatible with the Australian way of life".

An Islamic school in Camden would be "a breeding ground for terrorists," says a resident who gave evidence in support of Camden Council at an appeal against its decision to block the school.

Judith Bond said the school would teach war and how to kill. "Values of violence will be emphasised. It will be a breeding ground for terrorists. There will be a surge of gang rapes, looting and attacking infidels," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Bond, as saying.

Camden residents presented evidence via DVD at the second day of a hearing to decide whether the 19 million dollars Islamic school should be built on the outskirts of the town.

The area's Christian values were threatened by the proposal, said another resident, John Waterhouse, who warned Christmas decorations and nativity scenes would be "pulled down or withdrawn on some sort of process of religious nit-picking."

Describing Camden as "the mouse that dared to roar," he said he did not want prayer mats unrolled in shops or "our teenage daughters subjected to demeaning taunts wearing jeans, shorts or T-shirts."

Another resident, Kate McCullogh, who was compared with Pauline Hanson when she addressed a meeting last year wearing an Akubra hat decorated with Australian flags, said she was "no redneck xenophobic racist like the media have put to me."

"Let's start making people understand that the Western way of life is the best way of life," she said.

Other residents' objections were based on urban planning matters, including traffic flow and proximity to working farms.

Until now, Camden Council has largely distanced itself from ideological justifications for blocking the development application for a 900-student school. When it voted unanimously to reject the project last May, it did so "on planning grounds alone". (ANI)