SWC Proposes Model for Interfaith College to Australian Authorities

August 10, 2006

CENTRE SIMON WIESENTHAL - SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTRE - CENTRO SIMON WIESENTHAL
64, avenue Marceau - 75008 Paris - Tel. +33 (0) 1 47 23 76 37 - Fax: +33
(0) 1 47 20 84 01
E-mail: csweurope@compuserve.com 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wiesenthal Centre Proposes to Australian Authorities Model for Interfaith College to Ensure Social Cohesion and Democratic Values, and to Contain Incitement to Hate and Violence

Paris, 11 August 2006

On a recent lecture tour of Australia, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's Director for International Relations, Dr Shimon Samuels, met with government officials who sought the Centre's advice on interfaith relations and multiculturalism.

In today's letter to the Department of the Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs, Andrew Robb, Samuels followed up the Canberra meeting, reiterating that "the main question raised in our dialogue related to how multicultural democracies must defend themselves from the import of religious radicalism through propagandists, who incite to hatred and violence, posing as clergymen."

Samuels continued, "As a result of the arrival of such figures, years of inter-faith dialogue and inter-communal harmony have been shattered in France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, etc."

The letter noted that "ostensible Muslim religious leaders are often uneducated Jihadist 'Imams' who preach in tenement garages to unemployed, frustrated youth. You will recall my story of the Parisian lady of West-African origin fearing for her son who has been subjected to the glorification of suicide terrorism, and whose friends have already been recruited in this manner to fight for martyrdom in Iraq.  The French and British authorities have returned several of these agitator preachers to their countries of origin."

Samuels pointed out that "France has also encouraged the establishment of a central representative council for its Muslim community and, under its auspices, a religious college to accredit Imams and educate them in the French republican values of 'Liberty, Equality and Fraternity'.  Unfortunately, this has been a dismal failure and has only provided state funding and endorsement for further radicalism."

The letter added that "In order to strengthen social cohesion and cross-fertilization of democratic values, I suggested to you an alternative model that we are discussing with European governments."

The Centre emphasized that "The concept presents an inter-faith college programme, in which clerics of all faiths study together in the national language of the country concerned.  A common curriculum, with a number of hours devoted to each of the faiths represented, would conclude with an examination under the guidance of eminent theologians from all faith-communities and non-believer or humanist scholars."

The Centre proposed this model "for consideration by Australia, and would be delighted to assist in further discussions regarding its eventual implementation."

For further information, please contact Dr. Samuels at +33 6 09 77 01 58.