Planning Permission and Pigs’ Heads

In a bizarre act of protest:

The heads of two pigs have been found on stakes at the site of a proposed Islamic school in Sydney’s south-west….The pig heads had been “elevated off the ground” using stakes, he said. An Australian flag was also strung up between the stakes, according to AAP.

It is, of course, quite an achievement that they were able to muster the motor skills to put two stakes in the ground and place two pig heads on them. Not quite Stonehenge or the Avebury Stone Circles, but still quite an amazing achievement nonetheless. And they do deserve some additional credit for being able to wrestle with two pigs and sever their heads.

Good work, guys! At this rate of human development, you’ll be breathing through your nose and walking upright on two legs in no time. Paleolithic Age, here you come!

The Sydney Morning Herald goes on to report the community reaction to this. i.e. not much. Emil Sremchevich, the broadband-challenged leader of the campaign to protect Camden from the culture-threatening horror of Muslim education has naturally condemned what has happened. However not, it seems, because it involved trespass or was offensive to the Muslim owners of the land. Rather, judging from reports, Sremchevich has condemned the act because the attack has distracted people from the “real issues” (i.e. Sremchevich’s issues).

“It’s a sad fact that whoever’s done it has really distracted from the real issues,” he said.

“It’s embarrassing. It just shows a lack of sensitivity to the issue.”

And, contrary to what has been reported in recent days, Sremchevich’s “issue” with the school seems more about religion than town planning concerns. Indeed, as the Macarthur Chronicle reported on 27th November:

On November 15, Mr Bleasdale visited the home of Camden’s Emil Sremchevich, the organiser of a protest against the school that attracted more than 1200 people. Mr Sremchevich said he made it clear to Mr Bleasdale that opposition to the school was more about religion than planning.

Even our shiny new Prime Minister seems opposed to the school. An article in the local newspaper entitled “Rudd opposed to Islamic school” reads:

Opposition to a proposed Islamic school in Camden has reached the highest office in the country with Labor leader Kevin Rudd becoming Prime Minister.

Mr Rudd used a visit to Campbelltown last week to support Labor’s candidate for Macarthur, Nick Bleasdale’s, opposition to the proposal.

“We are concerned about the adequacy of local infrastructure to support such a large school,” Mr Rudd said.

Mr Rudd said he opposed the application on “planning grounds.”

When told by a reporter Mr Bleasdale opposed the application on planning grounds before seeing the plans Mr Rudd stood firm in his support for his candidate.

“I support what Nick has said about the school,” Mr Rudd replied.

Ah yes, planning grounds. Based on plans he hasn’t even seen.

There is, however, a simple solution to this problem. If the people of Camden (or anyone else for that matter) don’t want Muslims to sully their rural paradise, they should just offer to buy back all the land, houses, and businesses that have been bought by Muslims. If they don’t want to sell, keep offering them money until they do. Naturally, they may end up having to pay much more than what the owners themselves paid or what the properties might ordinarily be worth, but at least it doesn’t require any pigs to be killed.