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<\/p>\nThe federal government has cancelled a grant for an Islamic community association in Melbourne citing “social cohesion concerns” after claims surfaced the group was mourning the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.<\/p>\n
Last election, Labor Member for Bruce, Julian Hill, announced a $670,000 grant to the Taha Humanity Association of Victoria to upgrade its community centre in Dandenong and support programs such as English lessons.<\/p>\n
Yesterday during Question Time the opposition quizzed the government over the funding pledge, claiming the centre was among those currently mourning the death of Khamenei.<\/p>\n
In a statement this afternoon the Minister for Multicultural Affairs Anne Aly announced pledged upgrades for the Taha Association Centre would not proceed.<\/p>\n
“Due to social cohesion concerns I’ve decided to not go ahead with a grant for the Taha Humanity Association,” Dr Aly said.<\/p>\n
“We are not proceeding with this election commitment.”<\/p>\n
A member of the association has told the ABC it had not received any correspondence from the federal government.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the Victorian government said the Department of Premier and Cabinet was investigating whether grant funding to the registered non-profit organisation had been used appropriately.<\/p>\n
“We have recently introduced the social cohesion values commitment which will ensure those organisations who receive government funding contribute to community harmony \u2014\u00a0failure to observe it will impact any future applications.”<\/p>\n
It is understood Taha Humanity Association has received about $215,000 in state government grants since 2014.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On its website, the association states that it serves the Shia Ithna Asheri Muslim community of Melbourne, and has more than 700 members.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Opposition calls for explanation from Labor MP<\/p>\n
Speaking to the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Liberal Senator James Paterson welcomed the government’s decision to cancel the funding.<\/p>\n
“I’m glad it’s happened, but I think we do have to ask some questions about the due diligence of the Albanese government,” Senator Paterson said.<\/p>\n
“I really think Julian Hill needs to explain why he recommended and advocated for this grant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“He didn’t warn the government that the views of the people at this community centre may be incompatible with the government’s objectives for social cohesion.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Labor MP Julian Hill announced a $670,000 grant to the Taha Humanity Association last election.\u00a0 (ABC News: Elise Worthington)<\/p>\n
Labor backbencher Ed Husic defended his colleague and said it was “bitterly unfair” to hold him accountable.<\/p>\n
“I don’t recall seeing him [Hill] with a crystal ball ever,” Mr Husic said.<\/p>\n
“He was not to know what events would transpire and how people would respond.”<\/p>\n
Mr Husic and Dr Aly became Australia’s first Muslim federal ministers in 2022.<\/p>\n
The ABC has contacted Mr Hill and his office for comment.<\/p>\n
Sydney Islamic school linked to mosque probed<\/p>\n
Separately, the federal education department is investigating reports of a link between an Islamic school in Sydney to a neighbouring mosque after a sheikh openly praised the ousted ayatollah.<\/p>\n
It is understood Al Zahra College Board member Mohammad Jaber also serves as a committee member of the mosque through Al-Zahra Muslim Association Incorporated.<\/p>\n
The ABC has been told that on Sunday the mosque declared it would mark three days of mourning for Khamenei’s death as an opportunity to “honour the martyrdom of his eminence, the guardian jurist and supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution”.<\/p>\n