Petition wrongly claiming former south west Sydney ex-servicemen’s club would be turned into Islamic prayer room sparks outrage

A PETITION that falsely claimed alterations to Revesby’s dilapidated Ex-Servicemen’s Club would “desecrate” a war memorial and build an Islamic prayer room in its place is yet to be taken down.

Proposed alterations to the former “Hero’s Hill” Revesby ex-servicemen club has been a divisive issue and has now attracted a petition falsely claiming it would be turned into an Islamic prayer hall.

A PETITION that falsely claimed alterations to Revesby’s dilapidated Ex-Servicemen’s Club would “desecrate” a war memorial and build an Islamic prayer room in its place is yet to be taken down.

Bob Davis, from Crestmead in Queensland, lodged a petition on Change.org claiming “Bankstown City Council has approved the partial destruction of a war memorial site to allow the erection of a prayer room for Muslims”.

It prompted outrage from across Australia, attracting 15,000 supporters and calls for intervention from the NSW Government.

Some even contacted controversial anti-Muslim senator Pauline Hanson to seek her support.

However Mr Davis asked for the petition to be removed last week after discovering his claims were false.

The petition has attracted more than 15,000 signatures.

A development application for 1 Donovan St in Revesby Heights, known as Hero’s Hill Ex-servicemen’s Club, proposes relatively restrained alterations to the existing two-storey club building.

According to the application, the Kogarah-based Al-Jaafaria Society would use the building as a community facility for conferences, mentoring and tutoring, women’s programs and weekly “community and cultural awareness” sessions, but there is no prayer hall proposed in the application.

Revesby Heights Ex-Servicemen’s Club was plagued by financial problems before closing.

It was sold for $3 million in May 2013 and later resold in 2015 for $4.5 million to Donovan Developments.

The war memorial referenced by Mr Davis, consisting of a field gun, a Lest We Forget granite plinth with engravings of ex-servicemen and the original memorial sign, was relocated to nearby Cox Reserve in November 2014.

Hero's Hill Memorial was moved to a new location in Revesby’s Cox Reserve in 2014. Photo: Adam Yip

The development application has been a divisive issue in Bankstown since it was lodged earlier this year.

A resident, who asked not to be named, said the Islamic community facility didn’t fit with the surrounding community.

“The Hero’s Hill serviceman’s club was founded soon after these returned servicemen settled in the area after World War II and these men still live here, as do their families, and this is a very delicate community matter,” the resident said.

“We want to see Hero’s Hill turned into something that truly represents our community.”

But others backed a revamp of the neglected building.

Matthew Berenger took to social media, saying: “I think it’s a good thing. The space will be refurbished as well so I think that’s a good thing.”

Canterbury Bankstown Council’s public submissions period for the application finishes tomorrow.

The Express contacted the Al-Jaafaria Society for comment but didn’t receive a reply.

The Express was unable to contact Bob Davis for comment.

@JacquiLambie @GROGParty 👍👍👍This matter has to be addressed with utmost urgency. They are about to desecrate war memorial in Bankstown.

— Firey41 (@Fireykra) September 25, 2016

EVERYONE SIGN , RT TO ALL!!! THIS IS BS!@TinaCatalone @TheRevBobLevy @GenGSPatton @Justified_Not @leatherneck111 https://t.co/oV4yiJCABu

— Radio Infidel Show™ (@JtMobleyFla) September 26, 2016

@SenatorMRoberts @PaulineHansonOz
Please help us stop a islamic pray house being built over a diggers grave
Please
(Bankstown council)

— zoran (@zozzer1966) September 25, 2016

Please LIKE | SHARE | PROMOTE

The community of Revesby Heights in Sydney are fighting the Bankstown City... https://t.co/lTLB9VLSjT

— Glenn Lazarus (@GlennPLazarus) September 25, 2016