24 August 2005
CANBERRA - Prime Minister John Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spies monitoring the nation’s mosques.
He was speaking just hours before bidding farewell to a unit of Australian elite troops heading for combat duty in Afghanistan in a deployment sure to further upset many Muslims here.
A day after holding a summit with 13 moderate Australian Islamic leaders, Howard said the government had a right to know if parts of the Islamic community supported or preached violence, and he favoured infiltration of mosques and schools if needed.
But Education Minister Brendan Nelson said on Wednesday that Muslims who did not support Australian values should ”clear out” and leave the country.
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