Should Australian governments provide leadership training programmes to young people with eligibility dependent on their religious beliefs?
If not, why not?
If so, should practitioners of all faiths have equal opportunity?
The Federal and Victorian governments are fully subsidising a Leadership Training Programme for Young Muslims.
“There is a need for young Muslim leaders to emerge who can
speak clearly and confidently about the various issues which
confront people of Islamic faith in Australia today, and who can
participate fully in shaping Australia’s future.”
http://www.icv.org.au/files/muslim_training_programme_2009.pdf
Muslims make up 1.7% of the Australian population.
http://www.racismnoway.com.au/library/cultural/index-Diversit-3.html
Are there equivalent government funded programs to train leaders from the Buddhist (2.1%), Hindu (0.7%) or Jewish (0.4%) communities to help them “participate fully in shaping Australia’s future”?
If not, why not?
How can such a programme be reconciled with the principle of the separation of church and state, particularly in light of the apparently increasing marginalization of Christian viewpoints on social and political issues as illustrated by Race Discrimination Commissioner Tom Calma’s statement that “there is a growing fundamentalist religious lobby, in areas such as same-sex relationships, stem-cell research and abortion”.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said that “he would keep religion and politics separate.”
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22847361-5005961,00.html
Why then are future community leaders being selected for training on the basis of their (Islamic) faith?

What criteria should we use?
Test scores, ability to pay, membership of particular groups, pick them at random?
I think you will find numerous similar programs involving groups like scouts, private schools, the military, other religions, universities, indigenous groups, charities, businesses of all kinds and government programs. Are they wrong too?
Just picking one and slagging it off as somehow racist or unfair is just appalling and I call shenanigans here. Seems to me like a thinly veiled dig at muslims and quite underhandedly racist.

mikk: << Seems to me like a thinly veiled dig at muslims and quite underhandedly racist. >>

Indeed. Clearly, KMB would rather that young Muslim Australians remain alienated from the dominant Australian society, so that he and others of his ilk can complain about antisocial manifestations of that alienation.

Heaven forbid that our governments might proactively engage with our Muslim communities in a program via which young Muslims might learn appropriate leadership skills and citizenship responsibilities.

CJ

Never thought I'd say this, but KMB kinda makes me miss Boaz/Carp: underneath all his bluster; anti-muslim, anti-female equality, anti-atheist, underneath his many layers of prejudice, the man actually did have a heart.

With KMB, we have someone who expresses all the same kind of prejudices but denies having a religion, even though his professed opinions dove-tail neatly with extreme-right Christian conservatism.

Oh, yeah, topic:

If a person has the qualifications for a job, has the ability to understand issues beyond the limitations of any formal religion. In fact demonstrates they have a capacity to lead, what should religion have to do with selection criteria?

I am the first to complain when people like Tony Abbott let their religion dictate their governance, but many other people of note, who may or may not be religious, are able to consider the needs of people and put their personal beliefs aside for the greater good, for example, safe abortion and contraception.

Your complaint, as I see it KMB, is based upon the following information.

"LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAMME for Young Muslims organised by the Centre for Dialogue at La Trobe University in association with the Islamic Council of Victoria. With the support of the Government of Victoria and the Commonwealth of Australia through the Regional Communities Outreach Program of DFAT"

To me, this is nothing more than another in an endless chain of make-work projects, instigated by public servants who are on constant look-out for ways in which to i) spend the taxpayers' dollar and ii) in the process, justify their own salaries, also paid for by the taxpayer.

A list of equally deserving activities that benefit from the money that is extracted from my pocket, and my company's pocket, will be an extremely long one. Just a list of university "research projects" that are funded by us in this manner would turn the air blue.

But be honest with yourself, KMB. The fact that it involves Muslims is, specifically, the reason you chose to moan about this one over the thousands of others, isn't it?

Pericles cuts straight to the chase.

Will KMB give honest answer or obfuscate?.... stay tuned.