Is Bendigo Really Afraid of a Mosque?

Bendigo’s plans for a 3 million dollar mosque to serve the regional centre’s growing number of Muslim residents was approved last week amid fierce protests. Opposition to the mosque has been notably prevalent online, but questions remain as to whether or not the campaign really speaks for the town’s residents.

Last week over 200 people packed the public gallery of a Bendigo council meeting where councillors voted 7 to 2 in favour of the mosque. Opponents were vocal throughout the 2 hour debate, raising fears over the creation of a Muslim enclave, a drop in house prices, and the introduction of sharia law. One concerned party even posited that the mosque would be used as a meeting place to plan terrorist attacks.

But the council was only interested in concerns relating to the planning code and the approval was eventually passed down, albeit to the chorus of “Shame on you, shame”. Later, the mosque’s unsuccessful naysayers vowed to solidify their campaign and take their case to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Their protests, for the moment, continue in earnest.

Most of the stop-the-mosque-in-Bendigo is eminating from the Facebook page Stop the Mosque in Bendigo. The page describes itself as a place for “those who do not want a mosque in Bendigo for their OWN reasons to express their concerns” and is filled with the kind of anti-Islamic rhetoric and Australian flag photos that are reminiscent of the 2005 Cronulla riots. Traffic on the page jumped after the mosque’s approval with comments ranging from “RIP Bendigo” to the Helen Lovejoy-esque “Did they even consider their children and grandchildren’s future?”

With almost 8000 likes, which accounts for just under 10 percent of Bendigo’s population, you’d be forgiven for thinking there was serious concern in the community. That is until a few clicks reveals the majority of the page’s insights come from Sydney. A more accurate indicator of community opposition would be the 432 submitted objections the local council received, 0.05 percent of the town’s population.

Anti-Islam group the Q Society has been revealed as a key force in campaigning against the Bendigo mosque, holding an information evening about methods of campaigning. The Q Society defines themselves as “Australia’s leading Islam-critical movement” and is best known from inviting controversial Dutch MP Geert Wilders on a speaking tour of Australia last year.

The group was suspected of orchestrating a campaign whereby a series of black balloons began appearing throughout Bendigo. For weeks the balloon’s intended meaning remained a mystery. Links to mosque opposition were then made when a councillor who supported the construction was targeted, twice waking up to find the black balloons on his fence. A recent email to media confirmed anti-Islam groups were behind the balloons, stating: “The view of the black balloon supporters is to accept Islam into our community is endorsing domestic and child abuse in our community”.

Anti-Islam groups campaigning against mosques in regional Victoria are not a new phenomenon. When Bendigo’s sister city, Ballarat, was considering a proposal for its first mosque the most venomous opposition came not from within the community but from an extreme group based in Queensland. Still, the mosque was approved and construction is now well underway.

Ballarat’s similarity to Bendigo could provide insight into how Bendigo will fare. Both cities have struggled with declining traditional industries, lower socio-economic status, and education outcomes below Victorian averages. They also both have a low multicultural mix under half the Australian average. Now just two months out from completion, the Ballarat mosque project has so far been smooth sailing. Ballarat Islamic Society board member Mehfooz Ahmad told local media.“ At the beginning there was a little bit of resistance… but now we can’t thank the people of Ballarat enough for their support.”

Whether Bendigo follows suit is yet to be seen. Perhaps an indication on the real level of local concern is Tim McIntyre, a resident who’ll live next door to the mosque once it’s built. He told media, “I’m fine with it. It’s just like having a church really”.

Follow Mitch on Twitter: @MitchMaxxParker