By ANEEKA SIMONIS
A TWO-metre high cross with an inflammatory religious message has been erected next to a local Islamic school in a provocative gesture that has caused outrage in the local community.
A disgruntled neighbour launched the religious attack on Minaret College in Officer as the latest salvo in an ongoing land dispute.
Ian Soer, who identified himself as a religious man, put up the oversized cross on his property’s boundary with the school. An inscription on the cross reads “Jesus Forgives Your Sins. I Don’t.”
The cross, which is visibly noticeable along Tivendale Road, was put up last week and is claimed to be the result of an 18-month land dispute between the man and the Islamic school built five years ago.
Mr Soer believes the school “killed” a number of trees he had planted as a privacy guard 12 years ago during construction.
He said he had asked the school for financial compensation and the release of a report surrounding the death of the trees, but his attempts were either ignored or “treated with absolute contempt” which motivated the display of the offensive, anti-Islamic symbol.
“I warned them … if you want to do this to my property, be careful of what goes in its place,” Mr Soer said.
Mr Soer, who said he “does not have a problem with Muslims”, also put up a larger cross weeks ago in the area where most trees have died and plans to decorate it with Christmas lights.
“The reason I have done this in this way is so they feel the anger I feel. I have let the issue go for 18 months and been very tolerant of them. The cross will come down when I get an apology for their treatment,” he said.
Berwick Grammar School, which is located directly opposite the display, labelled the crosses and messages as “outrageous”.
“I am horrified by that … It is inciting racial hatred,” said a student’s parent.
“There are a few students and staff from Berwick Grammar who are upset by it as well. I think this is outrageous for this area … the Muslim school has been fantastic there.
“I am just horrified someone would put that up there facing directly into the school’s car park.”
Cardinia Shire’s Dr Mike Inskip said the cross was intimidating and called for its removal.
“Is vilifying seven-year-olds in their place of education Christian behaviour?” he asked in a letter to the editor.
Police Senior Sergeant Trevor Teer said officers had tried negotiating with the man on several occasions but he refused to remove the crosses.
“At this stage, no offence against the criminal law has been committed and so there is nothing we can do,” he said.
Minaret College director Mohamed Hassan said the school had “always had harmonious relationships with its neighbours” and is committed to resolving the dispute with Mr Soer.
“We are trying to solve it through professional expertise.
“Our independent preliminary expert report indicates that the construction work complies with the building regulations,” he said.
