A Farrer candidate’s call to ban Muslim migration to Australia for a decade has continued to generate controversy with another candidate labelling the idea “unacceptable”.
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Ron Pike, representing the Australian Liberty Alliance (ALA), defended a temporary ban to allow for a “mature discussion” to take place.
“The growth of radical Islam is totally incompatible with a free, tolerant, peace-loving democracy and that is what we’re against,” Mr Pike said.
“It could be in a few years time we say all of this is fine but at the moment that’s where a very large proportion of our immigrants are coming from.”
Mr Pike claimed the problem was political correctness and linked alleged extremists with Islam, claiming it is a threat to the nation.
“How many people have been arrested by federal and state police in the past few years for planning serious terror attacks in Australia?” Mr Pike said.
“They’re not Sikhs, Presbyterians, atheists, Anglicans or Buddhists, every single one is an Islamist.
“We have no problem with peace-loving Muslims who fit into our society just fine but the spread of radical Islam is happening and we want to stop it before it gets worse.”
A fellow Farrer candidate has slammed the Mr Pike’s comments and labelled them “un-Australian”.
“One of the best things about our country is that we have freedom of religion,” Green’s candidate Amanda Cohn said.
“Australia is a great multicultural nation. There can be few better demonstrations of multiculturalism than the electorate of Farrer and the diversity of cultural heritage of our farming and agricultural communities.
“In our politicians I believe the community would like to see values which bring people together rather than create divisions.
“Of course I am concerned about national security - we need to be apprehending people who plan or engage in violent acts.
“But targeting a huge group of people for their religious beliefs, when many contribute meaningfully and peacefully to our communities, is unethical and divisive.
“Those who believe Islam is violent based on what they've read on Facebook might consider visiting (Griffith’s) Muhammad Imtiaz at his stand on Banna Ave to see him teaching peace and understanding.”