Australia’s National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies (NCEIS) was set up last year, with federal government funds, to advance knowledge and understanding of Islam and to play a leadership role in public debate on contemporary Islam.

Naturally, this has led to outrage (via).

At issue is the Women in Arabic and Islamic Literature course which, according to the Australian National Imams Council, gives a negative view of women in Islam. Not content with complaining, the Imams have circulated a petition recording its “deep concern with regards to the course structure and content”, claiming it involved “repeated and unjustified attacks upon Islam”.

Another group, Muslims for Peace, has also tried to get in on the act by branding the centre as “evil” and demanding lecturer Samar Habib be dismissed and the course abolished.

University of Western Sydney executive dean of the College of Arts, Wayne McKenna said that, although the university has not received a direct complaint, it was examining the content of the course.

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