PM - Monday, 20 February , 2006 18:21:00
Reporter: Melanie Christiansen
MARK COLVIN: Members of the Islamic community in Australia have condemned warnings by the Prime Minister that a small minority of extremist Muslims are a problem for the Australian community.
John Howard says he's concerned about Muslims with extreme views on jihad and attitudes towards women that are out of step with mainstream Australia.
But the Islamic community leaders say those comments are unhelpful and could provoke harassment and discrimination against Muslims.
Melanie Christiansen has the story.
MELANIE CHRISTIANSEN: It was during a book interview, just days before Cronulla riots, when John Howard first raised his concerns about a minority of Muslims in Australia and he's not backing away from those comments now they've attracted media attention.
JOHN HOWARD: I stand by those comments that there is a small section of the Islamic population in Australia, because of its remarks about jihad, remarks which indicate an extremist view, that is a problem and it needs to be dealt with by the broader community, including Islamic Australians.
And there are within some sections of the Islamic community an attitude towards women which is out of line with the mainstream Australian attitude.
MELANIE CHRISTIANSEN: Mr Howard says it's a problem that's troubled him for some time, and one that's appropriate for him to raise publicly.
JOHN HOWARD: These attitudes are not typical of all Muslims but they do represent the attitudes of a small section of the Islamic population and there's no point in not saying so.
It's not a problem that we ever faced with other immigrant communities, who became easily absorbed into the mainstream.
MELANIE CHRISTIANSEN: Comments like that, though, have enraged members of the Islamic community.
Kuranda Seyit from the Forum on Australian Islamic Relations says they're hurtful.
KURANDA SEYIT: I think they're damaging because it shows a lack of understanding about the Islamic community.
I think it goes back… to me it stinks of all those stereotypes that, you know, when you say that Irish people are not very intelligent and that Jewish people are stingy. I mean these are the traps of stereotypes that we're just going to be working on. I mean, it's a ludicrous notion.
And then if we start associating Muslims with the term jihad or violence or aggression, I mean, then…they're just perpetuate another stereotype about Muslims.
I don't think it's true. I don't think it's helpful and I don't think that the Prime Minister actually is informed enough to know what he's talking about.
MELANIE CHRISTIANSEN: And the founder of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia, Keysar Trad, thinks many Australian Muslims will now suffer because of what the Prime Minister has said.
KEYSAR TRAD: We agree that some Muslims have a misunderstanding of jihad. However, when an ordinary Muslim goes to work today after these comments are reported in newspapers, these Muslims are likely to face discrimination, verbal harassment, criticism, ridicule in the workplace and also at school from their friends and it just means that places Muslims under increased pressure.
MELANIE CHRISTIANSEN: But the Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says John Howard's views are reasonable and he agrees with them.
ALEXANDER DOWNER: My position is, I'm sure, the same as his: that most of the Muslims who've settled in Australia, there are around 300,000 Muslims in Australia, have settled extraordinarily well and are fine, upstanding citizens and make a good contribution to Australia.
There's a tiny minority who are of concern to us, who've shown sympathy for and enthusiasm for the jihadist movement, and obviously, as you well know, they've been a preoccupation and a concern for us.
MARK COLVIN: The Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, ending that report from Melanie Christiansen.
) and i personally believe that his whole argument is nonsensical. 
