Page 237 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 10 February 2010
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There is no doubt that our community is fortunate to be home to what is reportedly the nation’s largest collection of Islamic texts. I would like to congratulate the centre on its efforts to bring together such a valuable resource for Muslim Canberrans, Islamic speakers and scholars. It is my understanding that the areas in which Mr Youssef believes he could do with some support are those of cataloguing and then shelving the catalogued work.
I am pleased to advise Ms Bresnan that avenues for support for this kind of work exist through the community support component of the community support and infrastructure grants program. And I would encourage the centre to apply for a grant in the next round of this program to support this important cataloguing work.
I am also happy to advise Ms Bresnan that assistance with the promotion of the collection may also be available through the multicultural grants program. And I would encourage the Canberra Islamic Centre to apply for financial assistance to promote the collection among the Canberra community through this program once the cataloguing work has been completed. Opportunities for both these grant programs are open for application from July.
The Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services has this week spoken to Mr Youssef and alerted him to the existence of both grant programs. And I would encourage the centre to approach relevant diplomatic missions as well to seek additional avenues of support for the work that needs to be undertaken.
The Australian National Islamic Library is one part of a growing network of quality infrastructures serving the Muslim community in the national capital. This network includes the centre itself, an expanding Islamic school which will shortly relocate to larger premises in Weston, an Islamic community facility in south Canberra and of course the mosque in central Canberra.
The ACT government is currently working with the community to identify a site for another mosque in the Gungahlin area. The ACT government has, for many years, provided financial support to the Canberra mosque to conduct annual open days, giving all Canberrans the opportunity to visit the mosque and get a glimpse of the diversity of our local Islamic community. Similarly, the government has supported the Canberra Islamic Centre to conduct open days for Canberrans to learn about the Islamic faith.
Since 2006, we have also convened a Muslim advisory council to keep the ACT government abreast of issues and concerns among the Muslim community. In collaboration with the government, the council is currently undertaking a demographic study of the ACT Muslim community in the ACT and forging links between itself and the wider ACT community through a two-way media project and an integrated sports project.
The government fully supports the first part of this motion but, as I have indicated, has some reservations about the second part. It is well known in this place that the Greens continually profess to particular standards, including upholding the notions of
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