Test unAustralian, say Muslims

Test unAustralian, say Muslims

THE controverisal citizenship test being introduced by the Federal Government has been branded "biased" and "unAustralian" by the nation's key Muslim body. Australian Federation of Islamic Councils today released a statement strongly questioning the proposed test, saying members "share the serious concerns" it has raised in "the wider Australian community". "While AFIC does not oppose regulated immigration, it believes that a test with biased questions targeting particular cultural or ethnic groups goes against the very values of democracy and a fair go that the government is trying to inculcate," said President Ikebal Adam Patel. He agreed that would-be migrants should demonstrate reasonable proficiency in the English language, familiarity about the history and population of this country, and knowledge about the Australian lifestyle. But he said he it is "unfair and un-Australian to expect them to study about Anglo-celtic and Judaeo-Christian values, especially when those migrants are coming from a different religious and cultural background."