Peak Islamic group riles Premier

THE Victorian Government will consider pulling its funding of the state’s peak Islamic group in the wake of revelations it wants taxpayers to foot the bill for “safe spaces” for young Muslims to share their extreme views.

In a highly controversial submission to a federal parliamentary inquiry into freedom of religion, the Islamic Council of Victoria is demanding that funding for counter-terrorism and anti-extremism programs be diverted to create the refuges.

Premier Daniel Andrews slammed the council’s call as “wrong”, saying the places would be a “hate space”.

“There is no safe way to rail against the West,” he said. “It is wrong, it is not going to receive any state funding.

“We will be having a very close look at the Islamic Council of Victoria’s funding in a broader sense because I am very troubled, very troubled, by the suggestion that we might have a space where people could be radical as part of a deradicalisation program.”

The council’s submission says: “Muslim young people are feeling more emotionally overloaded. A safe space is needed for them to meet and talk about a range of issues in emotional terms, where they can be frank and even use words which in a public space would sound inflammatory.

“That they cannot express irony, humour, anger or joy in words and facial expressions that would make them a target for ‘surveillance’ is a cause for despondency leading to mental health issues among many.”

The council’s submission to the federal inquiry also slams national laws to impose control orders on terrorism suspects as young as 14, saying this has “a dampening effect on the freedom of religion for Muslim Victorians”.

It wants the control orders reviewed and for taxpayers to fund counselling for Muslim parents of children affected by the orders.

“This will acknowledge the risks to mental health, employment, rental housing, poverty and education as a result of any unforeseen consequences of legislation which disproportionately affects Muslim youth,” the submission says.

The council has received millions of dollars for programs since 2001, including a $850,000 youth officer grant over four years and $550,000 for an “empower youth” program over three years.

The submission, made before the latest terrorist attacks in London and Melbourne, says “Islamophobia” is a reality imposed on the state’s estimated 200,000 Muslims.