Oh you are going to love this
A town's dirty secret
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/10/1194329563801.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1REAL-ESTATE agents on Sydney's south-western outskirts held a secret meeting over a controversial proposal to build an Islamic school at Camden, The Sun-Herald can reveal.
Property industry sources and concerned residents said agents at Wednesday night's meeting debated the issue of selling homes to Muslim families wanting to relocate to the area.
The news comes as some residents voiced outrage about the school, with at least three businesses organising petitions against the Quranic Society bid to build Camden College, a combined primary and high school with 1200 students.
Members of the real-estate community contacted by The Sun-Herald confirmed the meeting took place.
Real-estate agent Roslyn Baldwin said: "If anyone was colluding on not selling on that basis, I don't think they could do that [legally]."
An Elders staff member said the company's agents knew about the meeting but none had attended.
Allan Sharpe from Combined Real Estate Narellan said he was unaware of the meeting, but would have attended. Mr Sharpe said he would vote against any move to refuse selling homes to Muslim families, although he was opposed to the school itself.
"If a family of a Muslim faith came into my office tomorrow to purchase a home, myself or any of my sales team would show them respect," he said. "You can't pick and choose who you sell houses to."
Real-Estate Institute of NSW chief executive Tim McKibbin said he had no knowledge of the meeting.
The manager of Sinclairs newsagency and pharmacy in Camden, Kate Robbins, said the shop had a petition with 12 pages of signatures opposing the school, before an unknown woman grabbed the document and left the store.
"We called the police," she said. "We don't know who she was. We don't know if she was a Muslim and what if they get our names and addresses?
"This isn't about race, but why can't they go to a school with our kids? We don't want them here building a school just for them. Pretty much everyone who comes in here agrees and signs the petition."
A large wooden crucifix had been erected at the school's proposed site, accompanied by a Bible passage that reads: "David and Goliath. The battle is won. This is the King of Kings Land. Prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. (Eph 6:18)."
Residents appalled by the protests have ripped down signs and banners that read "No Muslims".
Adding to the anti-Muslim sentiment are rumours circulating in the town that a mosque is planned for the old Camden High School site and Muslims have been trying to buy up local shops.
The State Government has denied a mosque will be built.
Jeremy Bingham, a former Sydney lord mayor working on the proposed Islamic school, said much of the local response had been "outright prejudice against Muslims".
Mr Bingham said the Camden community must learn to accept it had been nominated by the State Government as a growth area and would become part of south-western Sydney.
"There has been an emotional response to this issue but it is outright prejudice against Muslims," he said. "In the next 30 years the population in Camden will increase from 50,000 to 215,000.
"The people who have lived in Camden are used to the country town and they don't want to see it change. They are going to be part of the greater metropolitan Sydney."
Mr Bingham said he had been working with the Quranic Society to prepare the development application for the Islamic school.
Up to 1000 people protested last week against the building of the Islamic school. It has outraged residents, some of whom say it would bring violence to the suburb and turn it into a "dirty looking town like Lakemba".
Camden MP Geoff Corrigan said the issue would be dealt with fairly before Camden Council.
Federal Labor candidate for Macarthur Nick Bleasdale said he was opposed to the school on the grounds of inadequate infrastructure.
Public submissions on the plan close on November 13 and the council will vote on the proposal in February.
Topic: 1,000 protest against Islamic school (Read 2883 times)