A far-right nationalist group that stormed a church to protest against its support for Islam and multiculturalism "vigorously need to be countered by people of good will", Anglican Parish of Gosford’s Father Rod Bower told SBS on Monday.
On Sunday morning about 10 members of far-right group Party of Freedom, which says it supports One Nation party leader Pauline Hanson, stormed the Gosford Anglican church, on the central coast of NSW, dressed in Muslim attire.
Father Rod said that they entered playing Islam's call to prayer before breaking out in anti-Islam and anti-multiculturalism rhetoric, which left his congregation "traumatised" and "terrorised".
The Anglican Parish of Gosford is widely known for its support of multiculturalism and asylum seekers.
Father Rod said that they entered playing Islam's call to prayer before breaking out in anti-Islam and anti-multiculturalism rhetoric, which left his congregation "traumatised" and "terrorised".
The Anglican Parish of Gosford is widely known for its support of multiculturalism and asylum seekers.
Father Rod said that while he recognised the Party for Freedom's right to its opinion, it only further galvanised the church’s “resolve to continue to build bridges, not walls”.
“The important thing to recognise is that we live in a multicultural society and our choices are to either have a functional one or a dysfunctional one."
The incident comes as the debate reignites around Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. Senators David Leyonhjelm and Bob Day say they want to repeal Section 18C that makes it illegal to “offend, insult and humiliate or intimidate a person” while WA Liberals vote in favour of a motion to remove the words “insult” and “offend”.
Last week a coalition of community leaders renewed the push for Attorney-General Gabrielle Upton to adopt recommendations to tighten the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act.
SBS has contacted the Party for Freedom, whose mission says it “rejects multiculturalism” and Islam within Australia’s immigration policy.
