Outrage at Islamic foster guide

The nation’s peak Islamic body has been slammed over a set of guidelines issued to assist families with how to foster children.

Grand Mufti of Australia Ibrahim Abu Mohammed. Picture: AAP

The nation’s peak Islamic body has been slammed over a set of guidelines issued to assist families with how to foster children, with child protection advocates claiming its positions are fundamentally at odds with Australian law and dangerously ambiguous on the subject of female genital mutilation.

The Australian National Imams Council released the 12-page policy document last week, citing numerous recommendations on breastfeeding, prayer, inheritance policies, marriage rights and cultural norms that have angered advocates at the state and federal level over their defiance of best practice.

Quoting various scriptures, the document, titled Islamic Position on Foster Care, Adoption and Guardianship, attempts to answer questions and demystify the various religious teaching — but in doing so it has drawn ire over several instructions, in particular those relating to circumcision.

It says Islam prescribes circumcision “by way of obligation” for boys and should be conducted as early as possible, but adds that there is “no obligation for the circumcision of a girl”. Around Australia, female circumcision — usually termed female genital ­mutilation — is illegal.

NSW Families Minister Gareth Ward said he had directed an urgent departmental review of the ANIC document and would write to the council seeking its removal from the website until it was revised. “I totally condemn this document,” Mr Ward said. “Female genital mutilation is a crime and this document fails to reflect NSW law. Since becoming aware of it today, I have directed the secretary of my department to ­urgently review the document to ensure foster care agencies and the community are provided with factually and legally correct ­advice.”

Federal Assistant Minister for Children and Families Michelle Landry described the guidelines as “a distressing document”, particularly in relation to female genital mutilation “The Australian ­National Imams Council must recognise that child safety and permanency is subject to Australian state and territory laws,” she said.

“Many of the views outlined in this document do not reflect child safety best practice and I support the NSW government taking ­appropriate action to ensure all ­potential foster carers understand their role and responsibility.”

The ANIC describes itself as Australia’s peak Islamic body represented by imams, clerics and ­Islamic scholars from every state and territory.

Its executive committee is made up of 19 members and includes Australia’s Grand Mufti, Ibrahim Abu Mohammed. Former sex discrimination commissioner Pru Goward described the ANIC policy paper as “extraordinary and disappointing”, highlighting numerous concerns with its edicts, namely the section dealing with circumcision.

“The word circumcision should not apply to girls — it is female genital mutilation and it is illegal,” Ms Goward said.

“The document needs to make that very clear. In the past, the Islamic leadership has publicly made it clear they reject this practice and they should do so again.”

Under a section dealing with marriage, the document states that in circumstances where biological parents are absent, an imam should retain the legal right over the marriage of a foster child. This would extend beyond the rights of the foster parent.

“There is no legal process which would give an imam ­parental rights and responsibilities over a foster child in Australia,” Ms Goward, a former families minister in the NSW government, said.