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Muslim culture a challenge for Australia's immigration program
Published on: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 04:42:36 GMT
Australian Prime Minister John Howard says conservative aspects of Muslim culture create a challenge for Australia's immigration program. "I do think there is this particular complication because there is a fragment which is utterly antagonistic to our kind of society, and that is a difficulty," Howard told The Australian. "You can't find any equivalent in Italian, or Greek, or Lebanese, or Chinese or Baltic immigration to Australia. There is no equivalent of raving on about jihad, but that is the major problem."
Howard also also expressed concern about Muslim attitudes toward women. "I think some of the associated attitudes towards women (are) a problem," he said.
The comments are contained in a book written by The Australian's team of journalists and commentators to mark the 10th anniversary of Howard's rise to power.
The president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, Ameer Ali, said the conservative Muslims about whom Howard was talking represented only a "tiny fraction".
"I think he (Howard) understands that the large majority of Muslims are like everyone else," Ali told the newspaper.
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