National Union of Students (NUS) condemns the SA and federal education departments’ withdrawal of funding to the Islamic College of South Australia (ICOSA) as Islamophobic and an example of the government continuing to single out Muslim organisations for further attention and scrutiny.
“The school has been subjected to an intense trial by media, relying on Islamophobic and racist tropes that the school is funnelling money to outside organisations,” said NUS Education Officer Anneke Demanuele.
Students have just commenced learning for the academic year only to find that their school now faces closure at the end of the first term, 13 April 2017. These students and parents now find themselves uncertain over their academic futures.
While Education Minister Simon Birmingham has said the Department was left with “no choice” but to cut funding based on the school not meeting “reasonable standards”, the government and media have obsessed over the school’s links with Muslims Australia, or Australian Federation of Islamic Councils.
“In today’s political context, where we have a proud Islamophobe sitting in the White House, we have the racist Pauline Hanson and her One Nation Party polling increasingly well in WA and Queensland and a Liberal Government only too happy to go along with their anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric, a move like this from the SA and federal governments is a gift to racists and the far right in Australia.”
Sophie Johnston National President | National Union of Students
