Melbourne, NU Online
Australia's Attorney-General Robert McClelland Wednesday launched the Australian Muslim Women's Centre for Human Rights.

The centre is a new community organisation which will advocate on human rights issues and provide welfare services to Muslim women.<>

McClelland said he was pleased to support the new organisation which would be run by the Islamic Women's Welfare Council of Victoria.

"There is a strong history of human rights advocacy at the grassroots level in Australia and I'm pleased this tradition continues today," McClelland said in a statement.

"The Government - working with community organisations and leading advocacy groups such as the Australian Human Rights Council - is playing an important role in contributing to a vibrant and tolerant society."

McClelland said the organisers of the Australian Muslim Women's Centre for Human Rights had said the creation of the new centre would bring a human rights approach on issues of disadvantage and inequality for Muslim women across Australia.

McClelland said Australians enjoyed rights that were unavailable in many countries. (syf)