March 01, 2007 01:00am
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A POLITICAL committee is being planned by Muslim leaders to shoehorn community professionals into the political ranks and lobby for Australia's first Muslim federal MP.
The proposed body will distinguish between religious and political Islam and promote the merits of Muslims from all political parties to the Islamic and mainstream communities.
One of the Muslim leaders spearheading the campaign to set up the board, Omar Yassine, said yesterday the group would improve the community's relationship with governments and help bring more Muslims into the political contest.
"We need someone from our community to represent us in the government and to be honest and straightforward," he said.
"We have to achieve something and to show respect to ourselves for others to respect us."
While Victoria has state Muslim MPs, NSW does not and nor are there any Islamic MPs at the federal level.
Mr Yassine, who is closely linked to the Labor Party, said the Sydney-based committee would comprise men and women from various professions and academic backgrounds.
He said the body, to be set up as soon as possible, would deal with political and social issues, while religious matters would be left "to the religious leaders to speak about them".
"Of course we're not going to satisfy everybody, but we will do the right thing for the community, and I think this is the right time to do it," said the secretary of the community-based El-Dunnieh Association.
Mr Yassine said the body would not endorse aspirants who "attacked the community" to score political points with mainstream Australia.
The plan comes after controversial cleric Taj al-Din al-Hilali said last month he would endorse a member of the Muslim community to challenge NSW Premier Morris Iemma for his seat of Lakemba, in Sydney's southwest. Sheik Hilali abandoned the idea a few days later.
The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils' newly elected president, Ikebal Patel, has backed the plan.
But the former chairman of John Howard Muslim reference group, Ameer Ali, said a Muslim politician would not secure Islamic votes simply because of their religious heritage.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21303730-2,00.html
