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English test for Indian priests in Australia
The Australian Multicultural Foundation has said that priests and imams should have a working knowledge of English.
The Australian Multicultural Foundation has said that priests and imams should have a working knowledge of English and be well versed about the environment they are living in to be granted visas to stay on Australia.
Melbourne has many priests from India, Italy, Malta, Poland and Vietnam, among other countries, some of whom would have trained in Australia.
The foundation also said that these religious leaders occupy positions of authority within their respective communities, and therefore should be given only provisional visas until their English is adequate and they receive multicultural training.
The Age quoted the foundation's executive director, Hass Dellal, as saying that the religious leaders had an important role in building social cohesion and harmony.
"They give sermons to large communities on various issues, and deal with issues such as marriage, gender and divorce for second and third-generation migrants. It's important to have a good fundamental understanding of the environment and of English," Dellal said.
The recommendation is in a report to the Federal Government, Religion, Cultural Diversity and Safeguarding Australia, launched last week by Multicultural Affairs Minister Peter McGauran.
It was written by Mr Dellal, Professor Desmond Cahill of RMIT and Professor Gary Bouma of Monash University.
The report suggests that both houses of the Australian Parliament open each sitting day with a prayer chosen by Australia's faith communities in rotation, and close with the Lord's Prayer.
According to Dellal, religious leaders need to understand Australia's cultural diversity, Australia's core values and their own role in promoting them.
Muslim community leaders have said one of the biggest obstacles to a full Australian identity for some Muslims is that their religious leaders are usually brought from overseas.
Sheik Fehmi Naji el-Imam of the Preston Mosque said he agreed with the recommendation, though it would be difficult for some Muslims.
However, the Vicar-General of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, Monsignor Les Tomlinson, said he did not see the need for government intervention.
"I would believe that the churches and other faiths would be responsible citizens and make careful choices about who they sponsored to work in Australia," he said.
