Islamic Museum of Australia for Melbourne
Foreign Minister Bob Carr has announced a re-elected Rudd Labor Government would contribute $3 million to enable completion of the Islamic Museum of Australia in Thornbury in Melbourne’s north…a project with which the Jewish Museum of Australia has been involved.
Nina Bassat
The announcement coincides with celebrations marking Eid al-Fitr – the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
The $10 million museum would be the first Australian museum dedicated to Islamic art, when it opens to the public next year. Australia is a vibrant and successful multicultural nation and this funding will ensure the wider Australian community can learn about the rich history of the Muslim faith. The history of Islam in Australia long precedes the arrival of white settlement. For centuries, vessels from Indonesia visited the shores of northern Australia where they traded with local Indigenous people.
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, other Muslims came to Australia, often as the crew of ships bringing white settlers. They were followed in the mid-19th century by the Afghan Cameleers. The museum will allow their stories to be told and it will also be a place to display and share the cultural history of Islam.
The Islamic Museum of Australia is described as an ‘Islamic exploratorium’ and will house calligraphy, paintings, glass, ceramics, textiles and arts dating back to the 7th century, with special programs for school children. The building blends the purity and sophistication of Islamic design and features a large rusted ‘veil’ as part of the entranceway. The Islamic Museum of Australia is a community foundation with the vision of establishing a leading cultural institution to showcase and preserve the arts, history, culture and heritage that Islam and Muslim societies have brought to Australia and the world.
The Jewish Community Council of Victoria’s president Nina Bassat told J-Wire: “The Islamic Museum of Australia is an important development for the Islamic community. Much thought and care has gone into the project, including consultation with the Jewish Museum of Australia, which it is using as a model. The Islamic Museum will add to the cultural life not only of the Islamic community, but to the celebration of multicultural art for the whole of Victoria.
From the Jewish community perspective, we are heartened by this donation as it gives some hope to Jewish Museums and to the Jewish Holocaust Centre, which hitherto have not been the recipients of any large Government donations and which now feel encouraged to put their case on the basis of this announcement.”
Surely not! 10 million for one museum. Who decided to spend our money for Muslims? Not my hard earned money please! What about all the other faiths, do they also get a museum of 10 million? What is the matter with our government, where are their brains? How much more are we going to spend for Muslims? How about spending those 10 million on our homeless! You have rocks in your head for sure! Grow a brain, why appease Islam like that? Who has your arm twisted like that? Or do you get a fat kick back from the Saudis? UNBELIEVABLE!
Unfortunately Eleonora the Jewish Leadership mainly Leftists are following the British Jewish leadership Dhimmi Model…..
I’ve read every ones comments and wasn’t sure if I should laugh or cry. In regards to the Dutch MP. that was “Interviewed” by Andrew O’Keefe, I was very angry and had a large number of email conversations with him. It’s clear the media is biased. Last year I was in Holland visiting my brother in The Hague, all the dutch are wanting to get out of the city, property prices have rockbottomed. Everything the Dutch MP. said was the absolute truth and it’s not only happening in The Netherlands but through out Europe.
My question is: “Will the Muslim (Islamic) Museum also show that they are terrorist, murderers a faith of hatered etc??”
I also see a problem within our own ranks. The fact that most Jews/Hebrews recognize Palestinians as a race or a ligitimate country by using this terminology. If it looks like a duck, talks like a duck, swims like a duck it’s clearly a duck, As for the “Palestinians”they are Arabs. (I have read and studied myself stupid and still can’t find any proof that this is not so.) Is it a question of “If it’s said loud enough and often enough it must be true?” Andrew O’Keefe said I’m a bigot, yet I do not discriminate against any race. I believe we were all given the freedom of choice to believe what we want. I certainly don’t kill people because they don’t share my beliefs. Unfortunately the Muslims do, they kill each other and then go on to kill anyone else who is not of their faith. I’m glad I’m not the one who gives away Israeli land for peace and I would never have let Jerusalem be devided, it is the Capital of Israel, as for the Dome… don’t get me started. Yes, I even studied how the Muslim Faith came into Existance. Will that also be in their Museum??? Guess not. I’m praying for peace in Jerusalem and for peace in the land given to the His choosen people but I also pray that we as a people could stand united no matter what belief system we follow or don’t follow. I can’t understand JCCV would even want to support this, they surtainly aren’t in touch with their own people and probably hgave never heard of J-Wire.
This last paragraph by Bassat is straight from cloud cuckoo land.
“From the Jewish community perspective, we are heartened by this donation as it gives some hope to Jewish Museums and to the Jewish Holocaust Centre, which hitherto have not been the recipients of any large Government donations and which now feel encouraged to put their case on the basis of this announcement.”
The Jewish Museum was founded in 1982 and Jewish Holocaust Centre in 1984. These two museums have managed to build themselves up over a 30 year period without major government handouts. Why should they suddenly attract significant funding?
Why is this Islamic Museum deserving of such significant funding support from government? It smells awfully like a politically correct lunge by left leaning proponents of the fantasy of multiculturalism.
This last paragraph by Bassat is straight from cloud cuckoo land.
“From the Jewish community perspective, we are heartened by this donation as it gives some hope to Jewish Museums and to the Jewish Holocaust Centre, which hitherto have not been the recipients of any large Government donations and which now feel encouraged to put their case on the basis of this announcement.”
The Jewish Museum was founded in 1982 and Jewish Holocaust Centre in 1984. These two museums have managed to build themselves up over a 30 year period without major government handouts. Why should they suddenly attract significant funding?
Why is this Islamic Museum deserving of such significant funding support from government? It smells awfully like a politically lunge by left leaning proponents of the fantasy of multiculturalism.
The question I would ask Bassat and others at the Jewish Museum and ADC is..
Going on the history of Muslim intolerance , vilification and intimidation to Jews how do they know that their “Islamic Museum” in Melbourne wont be depicting Jews and Israelis in their usual ugly manner along with lies and distortions?. How will they feel ?
dannykid
Sabra
Raoul
Absolutely everything you state is perfectly valid.
Since your objections and mine to the anticipated contents and purpose of the said Museum are not likely to stop the establishment of the said institution, the only remedies available are the following:
– if your specific objections shall eventuate as factual, if the museum will promote what you anticipated, then immediate and resolute legal action should commence. First of the rank should be the same Jewish institution, JCCV, which today is expressing support for the Museum. If the Jewish institution shall fail to react accordingly then JCCV will need to be taken to task.
– If the museum shall misuse public funding by breaking the law, similarly they will be made accountable legally for using public funds fraudulently.
– any political partisan expression promoted explicitely or sugestively by the Museum through its permanent exhibits as well as transitory, any public manifestation catered in and by the museum which shall promote contested political issues shall be deemed to be incompatible with the purpose, the functions of the museum. The mere use of the term “Palestine” as representing a contemporary state form should be deemed provocative and incompatible with the accepted purposes of the Museum.
This provisions must be contained in a statement by any institution or person(s) concerned and rendered statutory.
Otto,
Once this thing is established, it will serve as an Arab propaganda arm, plain and simple, no ifs, no buts. And you think statutory legalistic mumbo jumbo will change this?
As to the likelihood of our politically correct communal institutions led by the current batch of ghetto Jews taking strong action, well pigs will fly before this happens.
The time to say anything is now, but what passes as Jewish leadership stays shtum, the BoD continues with their useless inter-faith dialogue, asking not one hard question in spite of the fact that the JCCV comes out and publicly states it is “heartened” by this development.
Then only a few of us from these pages call for Nina Bassat’s immediate resignation. What about the rest of the Jewish community, especially the Melbourne Jewish community?
Why aren’t they knocking on this woman’s door demanding she step down?
The sad fact of life is that most of them are not concerned, don’t follow the news in detail, are so disinterested that they probablydon’t even know what this woman uttered.
And these are the fools who you rely on to take Nina Bassat and the JCCV “to task”!
Gil
I fully agree with you as well.
What I stipulated were measures to ensure that basic principles are not trampled on neither by the “owners” of the Museum nor by our leaders.
I also alluded to what you expressed quite explicitely tat, according to this statement from JCCV and other gestures/statement in the same vein from the same place on related issues, we would have serious reasons to expect the said leadership to act consistently and NOT to take any resolute action if and when the anticipated ( then” if” does not make sense !! ) transgressions will take place.
I must add that your decisive manner in tackling these issues ( and any other similar ) is by far the most desirable course of attitude and suggested action a genuine Zionist would be expected to have, and I, for one, must declare my admiration.
Both the principles you articulate and actions you suggest are perfectly rational.
Where I make critical observations toward necessary changes in the attitude of our leadership I express implicitely serious doubts that the same leadership would accept your motions and even less your practical suggestions. Consistently only a change of the leadership could seriously pfrovide the changes you suggest, ones I agree with.
How to change it…………………….
…..to be continued.
The Muslim brotherhood ( Hamas their off shoot )have just set up shop in the Islamic capital of Australia Sydneystan,s Western suburbs .
Up until recently JCCV ,s m/s Bassat,s partners ICV Islamic Council of Victoria had another offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood CAAR in America linked to the ICV website .
CAAR finances Hamas .
I wonder if this latest news will bother JCCV ( or the other supporter of the Islamic community ADC)
These left leaning multiculturalists naively believe they can seperate Israeli / Zionist issues from Jewish issues.
Perhaps next time M/ s Bassat is not attending to Islamic Museum duties and there is a Ianti Israel rally going on she can accompany me and take note of the anti – Semitic placards and anti – Semitic chants by local muslim and Arab community members along with their Socialist allies .
Dhimmi comes to mind .
Let me understand Under Nina Basset her JCCV recently joined the Islamic Council of Victoria in supporting their attempts to silence the most Pro- Zionist MP in Europe who was visiting Australia from telling Australians what is going on his country Holland another failed exercise in Multiculturalism .
Now under her leadership JCCV are essentially going into partnership with the Islamic community.
Perhaps she can ask that community to subside our security costs.
Her mishagas ideas are similar to a previous President of JCCV who wanted our Jewish security to train the Muslim Community security { at the time I asked him who actually were the Muslim community afraid of that they needed security ,extremist religious Jews ?]
Is the Jewish Left totally taking over our community?
It’s good that Australians can learn about the rich history of the Muslim faith, like the practice of purdah which they brought with them.
Nine Bassatt would do well to read this learned paper about the Bux family, and may well choose to emulate the example of the wife, who was not allowed out of her house, as she practiced this quaint habit. – http://www.cmss.uwa.edu.au/research/identities/bux
Dane,
You are obviously not in favour of my sometimes abrasive style of writing.
As to your comment: “With the supposed lack of communal leadership, it’s time for you to take the lead!” I can assure you that I try to practice what I preach and always encourage other realists to do so also.
From attending various meetings it is an unfortunate fact of life that the current politically correct leaders of our communal organisations are an entrenched lot who receive strong backing from the passive and uninformed majority within our community and this is the problem we realists face in getting elected.
However we will persevere.
May I suggest that in future you would be better off attacking the content of my opinions rather than the style with which I present it.
Mr. Solomon – you should cut your baby-like whining in half:
“naive Jewess”
“many in the Jewish community should be deemed unfit to ever hold any public position”
“Why can’t Jews for once in their life just shut up?”
“I suppose that Jews in general have only themselves to blame…”
“the boards of every Jewish organisation in Australia need to be gutted”
Your reference to “those pathetic Jews” seems less a reflection of how “Islamic officialdom” sees us, and more a reflection of your own vitriolic attitude towards our community.
You want Jews to “for once in their life just shut up”? With the supposed lack of communal leadership, it’s time for you to take the lead!
Agreed! All those who whine the loudest, should take the lead. Where do we start?? Sign me up…..
I very much second Gil Solomon’s proposal. A role as chairwoman of the local parent teacher committee would be ideally suited for this kind, preferably on Nauru or Manus Island. Considering most of Islamic art is indeed the art of the conquered or exterminated cultures, the thought of one dollar of my taxes going into this is deeply offensive.
I very much second Gil Solomon’s proposal. A role as chairwoman of the local parent teacher committee would be ideally suited for this kind, preferably on Nauru or Manus Island. Considering most of Islamic art is indeed the art of the conquered or exterminated cultures, the thought of be dollar of my taxes going into this is deeply offensive.
How dare this smiling grandmotherly like naive Jewess Nina Bassat talk “from the Jewish community perspective” on anything. To hear that the Jewish Museum of Australia was involved in any way in assisting the Islamic museum get off the ground, not only sickens me but confirms in my mind that many in the Jewish community should be deemed unfit to ever hold any public position.
No doubt when a display goes up in a section of the Islamic museum dedicated to anti-Israeli propaganda or anti-Semitism in general, this befuddled woman will write to the Islamic community to express how disappointed she is that they (Islamists) didn’t take Jewish sensibilities into account before taking this action etc. etc. etc. I can just see Islamic officialdom laughing hysterically behind closed doors at those pathetic Jews.
It’s time for the likes of Nina Bassat not to wait to be thrown out of office but to resign. I suggest she finds a job managing a kindergarten centre or something, where her babblings will not reflect on us or make it to any news media outlet. The bottom line is that I don’t care what this woman does as long as she gets out or gets thrown out.
Why is it that Jews, who are the main target of Islamic hatred go out of their way to assist or be the first to congratulate Muslims on anything, as in this case? Why can’t Jews for once in their life just shut up? And if Nina Bassat thinks I make up part of her “Jewish perspective” she should think again.
I suppose that Jews in general have only themselves to blame for tolerating a situation that allows the Bassats of the community to dominate our communal organisations.
The time has come where the boards of every Jewish organisation in Australia need to be gutted, where most members would face the choice of resigning or being shown the door. To this end, it is time for many to stop making excuses, attend meetings and actively participate in the running of these organisations with the intention of being elected to the most senior posts. This would include not only the JCCV but the Jewish Board of Deputies and all other communal organisations which are dominated by the politically correct, the uninformed, the most accomodating and naive Jews of our community.
I cannot believe the nonsensical , almost offensive rhetoric people who reach positions of “leadership” indulge in. Nina Bassat is but one equal Jew among all of us and she should consult first the people she represents before uttering absurdities, actually so that she would not utter absurdities.
NO normal Jew could possibly by “HEARTENED” by the opening of an Islamic institution !! Pure and simple. “Cultural” my foot, only a launching pad, a forum for more anti Semitic manifestations. I doubt it that Ms. Bassat knows the difference between genuine , civilized manifestations of culture and Islamic propaganda of intolerance and intellectual oppression.
Nina Bassat is assuming rights she does not have.
I think her “due by date” has expired long ago at the helm of the Victorian Jewish Community.
I am embarrassed and also revolted.
Otto, some may doubt your claim that the raison d’être of muslim institutions and muslim representatives are “only a launching pad, a forum for more anti Semitic manifestations”.
Maybe that doubt will be challenged by this: It was reported on 13 August 2013 that the British Senior Cabinet Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Baroness (no less) Sayeeda Warsi, lied to the House of Lords about the number of Palestinian Arabs killed by Israeli Security forces since 1 January 2012 is 3,643. According to the UN the number since January 2012 is 275 and according to B”Tselem it’s 518 since January 2009.
The mission of even representatives of our western governments who happen to be muslim, is to attack Israel and Jews with lies and propaganda.
But that is England, not Australia? But that is islam in England AND Australia!
This muslim museum will not only present lies about Israel and Jews, It will whitewash Islamic ideology and history.
The enthusiastic support of JCCV and Ms. Bassat for the muslim museum venture is just the tip of the frightening iceberg of misguided support for things Islamic.
The Council for Australian Arab Relations (ACSA) has produced a program for Australian schools, incredibly indorsed by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs, called “Arab Gateways” http://www.arabgateways.edu.au/ . It is sophisticated, polished, insidious. It not only whitewashes islam, it makes it so attractive that the young minds that are exposed to it in our schools, likely find it hard to resist. Visit the program and be shocked.
Another program presented by ACSA is called “Learning From One Another: bringing muslim perspectives into Australian schools”. This program, a “free one day professional learning workshop for primary and secondary teachers” is presented by the National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies, the University of Melbourne and the Australian Curriculum Studies Association, with funding from, unbelievably, The Myer Foundation, established by Sidney Myer, one of Australia’s greatest visionaries and a Jew.
Just a cursory examination of these offerings make it very clear that the “learning from one another”, with clever language and subtle nuance, is one way. That it is all about “wonderful” islam.
Our problem is not so much the islamisation of the west but the acquiescence and accommodation of the muslim endeavour by the “progressives” in our society.
and where is the learning about Judaism and the Jewish culture? And what are our learned Jewish bodies doing about it?
And no prize for guessing which country is missing on the map of the region this “educational resource” is showing: http://www.arabgateways.edu.au/explorer.html
Is this the kind of ‘interfaith’ the JCICV and this so-called museum will be promoting?
So much for multicult ‘education’ in Australia.
More Moslems than Jews = $3m for an Islamic Museum.
Fits too with Bob Carrs statement that all Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria (West Bank of the Jordan River) are illegal.
Don’t hold your breath waiting for a similar (or any) contribution for the Jewish Museum.
However, it is probably academic as the contribution is dependent on the reelection of Rudd & his cohorts which won’t happen
From my perspective I’m not at all heartened that the Australian government spends 3 mill on Islamic art. Let the rich Muslim countries finance it. No Muslim country would ever allow a museum on Christian art, let alone a church to be established in their countries. This is just a stealthy invasion of Muslim values into our country, resulting no doubt in more acceptance of Islam and more rejection of Christianity, or what’s left of it. Good luck, though, with applying for a contribution to a museum on Jewish culture. Mazal tov.
Danuta well spoken and thank you for expressing the contra view with such clarity and dignity.
The whole thing is a farce and in the end only G-d knows what will happen to the Jews in Australia and the world, with the strength of the tide that is turning against them.
Bassat indeed should resign. She’s living in a fool’s paradise. Wonder if she reads J-Wire??