Islam in Australia

Interfaith dialogue has been touted as a means to solve many of the religious divisions that have arisen in an increasingly global and multi-faith society. In Australia, now a multi-cultural and multi faith society, a range of organisations exist to facilitate this dialogue, most coming in to existence after the 1960’s This paper will review the early dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims as portrayed in the public record. It covers pre and post-Colonial Australia, up until the 1950’s. As inter-faith dialogue becomes more important in an increasingly global society, it will examine the effect that micro and meso level dialogue has influenced social harmony at some levels. By examining the public record and the narratives surrounding the Macassans, Afghans and other early Muslims, this paper will firstly argue that micro and meso dialogue prior to the 1950s’ between Muslims immigrants and non-Muslims made a contribution to the social harmony in Australia. Secondly, despite many at...

Studi Islam di lembaga pendidikan tinggi Australia setidaknya dapat dipetakan menjadi dua model. Pertama, studi Islam dengan pendekatan ilmiah-akademis dan kedua studi Islam dengan pendekatan praktis-akademis. Pendekatan pertama menekankan Islam dan ekpresinya sebagai fenomena objektif dan ilmiah sedang dalam pendekatan kedua Islam dikaji sebagai sebuah doktrin untuk diterapkan tanpa mengesampingkan Islam sebagai fenomena empiris ilmiah. Kedua model pendekatan ini setidaknya terlihat dalam studi Islam di Western Sydney University and Charles Sturt University bekerjasama dengan Islamic Sciences and Research Academy (ISRA) Australi

In Australia, there has been confusion and misunderstanding surrounding the term 'fatwa'. This goes both to its meaning and also to the role fatwas fulfil for Muslims, whether in Australia or in other parts of the world. This paper seeks to address both of these issues, first by demystifying fatwa through exploration of the distinctive place the have in Islamic jurisprudence, and second by identifying the methodology used by jurists in ifta (the giving of fatwas), which has enabled Islamic law to be responsive to new developments and contemporary challenges. Given the recent expansion of technological, economic and medical advances and the pattern of migration of Muslims to secular societies, the paper argues that the need for fatwas is in fact increasing as Muslims strive to accommodate Islamic religious requirements within these new environments. The paper surveys the sources of Islamic authority in Australia, concluding that a process of collective ijtihad (independent legal reasoning) would best be suited to the diversity that is the hallmark of Islam in Australia. However, it is stressed that this would not lessen the primacy of Australian law but rather would complement it, as fatwas give guidance to Muslims Australians in the personal, individual and private spheres of life.

This paper analyses data from 25 qualitative interviews to explore the relationship between religion, gender and sexuality for Turkish-Australian women aged 18-26. It argues that the hijab (headscarf) symbolises an idealised Muslim femininity be-cause it signifies to the participants a high level of personal religious commitment and it also embodies the Islamic mores of modesty and self-respect regarding their sexuality. Participants in the study explained that ‘a woman is precious like dia-monds, that’s why we have to keep her covered’. While they displayed a sense of agency in perceiving their ‘liberation’ from sexual objectification through the hijab, some ambiguity arose from their conceptualisation of an ideal Muslim femininity. This ambiguity is tied to Islamic and Australian narratives of female sexuality, which position women in a role responsible for regulating sexual expression and sexual attraction in both the private and public spheres.

Across Europe, multiculturalism has been said to have ‘failed’ because it creates ‘ghettoes’ of Muslims that are actively undermining democratic principles. Hostility to state policies of multiculturalism and Muslim settlement are increasing rapidly. Australia too, has seen Muslims viewed with suspicion and subjected to severe forms of surveillance and social pressure to show loyalty to the nation and Australian ‘values’. In the same period Australian multiculturalism has faced sustained attacks, being challenged on its ability to foster integration and loyalty from citizens, especially Muslims. In recent times, the political tide has started to turn. Australian Muslims are increasingly making their voices heard and politicians from all of the major parties are committing to multicultural policies as a core tenet of Australian nation building (despite continuing attacks from the far right). This is due in no small part to the work of creative and innovative grassroots community groups, a vast body of academic research examining these groups and issues of social inclusion and exclusion. However despite this extensive research, one major contributor of pivotal significance has slipped under the radar. Young Muslims of Australia (YMA) based out of a small Northern suburban Melbourne Mosque has not sought any public recognition for its work, yet has contributed to the development of an entire generation of Australian Muslim political and cultural leaders playing an active role in shaping the development of Australian multiculturalism and Islam. The group has even had an impact internationally. This article, based on research interviews with key members and extensive engagement with their body of work seeks to examine and analyse the central tenets and guiding principles of the group and consider the key contributors to YMA’s success then measures its impact. The YMA not only challenge, but completely undermine arguments about an inherent incompatibility of Islam and Western democracy.

Key Words: Multiculturalism, Australian Islam, Western Muslims, Tasuwuuf Islam, Social Resilience

First PhD Master Class

The Study of Islam and Muslim Societies
School of Social Sciences and Psychology
Western Sydney University
Parramatta South Campus
2 October 2019

Convenor and Organiser
Dr. Pedram Khosronejad
(Religion and Society Research Cluster, Western Sydney University)

Open to the public
Venus:
8am - 12pm: Building EB, Level 3, Room 21 (Collaborative Learning Space)
12pm - 5:30pm: Building EB, Level 3 Room 18 (Collaborative Learning Space)

This report provides a sociological analysis of the settlement and support services available to Muslim migrants living in the suburbs of Greater Adelaide, in the state of South Australia. In particular, we seek to learn how existing Muslim organisations address the collective needs of Muslim migrants in Adelaide. We include interviews with service providers, representatives and religious leaders, as well as field notes during visits to organisations and the public events that these groups hosted around Adelaide in 2008.

Our report considers different forms of social capital in relation to Muslim community development and service provision. This concept is used to examine the power dynamics in negotiations of social and economic exchange among different Muslim organisations and other groups, including mainstream service providers and government officials. Our study finds that many newly arrived Muslim migrants do not understand the breadth of government-sponsored services available to them, and so they largely rely on a couple of the smaller and widely trusted Muslim community organisations for all of their needs, rather than approaching mainstream organisations for specialised services.

We suggest that an asset-based community development (ABCD) approach would strengthen the social network ties and resources both within and external to the Muslim organisations studied. The ABCD framework is an evaluation methodology which first identifies the social and material capacities that presently exist within particular organisations.

2014 CILIS Islamic Studies Postgraduate Conference

Role of Islamic study circles in shaping the identity of Australian Muslim youth. This presentation will report a study on role of Islamic study circles (Halaqas) in shaping the identity of Australian Muslim youth.
Islamic study groups have a long history within Islamic traditions when not many communication facilities were available, and they still operate as an effective tool of shaping the identities of certain groups of people in the modern age of communications. Data collected in Australia indicates that although modes of their delivery are volatile and contents vary from circle to circle, these circles still play an effective role in shaping the identity of Muslim youth.

Drawing on qualitative data from interviews with twelve queer Muslims in Australia, this article analyses the ongoing struggle for queer Muslim recognition within the context of the so-called 'Clash of Civilisations'. Analysing the rhetoric of national security and 'Western' civilisational identity, this article interrogates the incorporation of sexuality into the cultural and political discourse of the 'war on terror', from the xenophobic demonisation of Muslims as sexual predators, to liberal Islamophobia that posits Islam as an aggressive and alien Other against which liberal capitalism must be defended. Within this hostile environment, queer Muslims in Australia are articulating various strategies for finding meaning in their lives. From a Marxist perspective, this article analyses these strategies for recognition which range from complex acts of 'closeting' sexual, ethnic and religious identities, to subversive acts of critical hybridity that seek to negate the exclusionary nature of homophobia and Islamophobia within Australia's multicultural society.

This article investigates the role religiosity plays in the ways young Australian Muslims enact themselves as citizens in a context in which their right to belong to the political community is often seriously questioned. Australian responses to 9/11, 7/7 and the Cronulla Riots have relied on an understanding of Muslim youth identity that sees young Muslims’ religiosity primarily as a barrier to the development of good citizenship practices. Against this backdrop, this article explores the ways in which religiosity informs the everyday acts of citizenship through which young Muslims challenge dominant narratives of citizenship. Drawing on an ethnographic study of two Melbourne-based Shia youth groups, I look at the subjective accounts of multicultural
citizenship that youth group members shared in the course of the groups’ weekly activities. In doing so, I draw particular attention to the role religion plays in the imaginative ways young Australian Muslims fashion themselves into citizens.

This article presents the findings of a national survey on Islam in Australia based on responses of 1034 Muslim Australian citizens and permanent residents. Knowing what Muslim Australians think about Islam in relation to Australian society is essential for a more informed understanding about Islam and Muslims needed to address misinformation, Islamophobia, and extremism. The findings presented in this article include typologies of Muslims; sources of influence concerning Islam; interpretations of the Qur’an; perspectives on ethical, social, and theological issues; issues of concern; social connections and sense of belonging; views on various Muslim-majority countries; and perspectives concerning political Islam, including jihad, caliphate, and shariah. While respondents’ understandings, interpretations, and expressions of Islam overall align with values and principles of equality, human rights, social cohesion, and social justice, a minority were found to understand and interpret I...

This article presents the findings of a national survey on Islam in Australia based on responses of 1034 Muslim Australian citizens and permanent residents. Knowing what Muslim Australians think about Islam in relation to Australian society is essential for a more informed understanding about Islam and Muslims needed to address misinformation, Islamophobia, and extremism. The findings presented in this article include typologies of Muslims; sources of influence concerning Islam; interpretations of the Qur’an; perspectives on ethical, social, and theological issues; issues of concern; social connections and sense of belonging; views on various Muslim-majority countries; and perspectives concerning political Islam, including jihad, caliphate, and shariah. While respondents’ understandings, interpretations, and expressions of Islam overall align with values and principles of equality, human rights, social cohesion, and social justice, a minority were found to understand and interpret I...

The most recent national Census demonstrated that Australian Muslims continue to occupy a socioeconomically disadvantaged position. On key indicators of unemployment rate, income, type of occupation and home ownership, Muslims consistently under-perform the national average. This pattern is evident in the last three Census data (2001, 2006 and 2011). Limited access to resources and a sense of marginalisation challenge full engagement with society and the natural growth of emotional affiliation with Australia. Muslim active citizenship is hampered by socioeconomic barriers. At the same time, an increasingly proactive class of educated Muslim elite has emerged to claim a voice for Muslims in Australia and promote citizenship rights and responsibilities.

Over the past decade, issues concerning Islam and Muslims have featured prominently in public and media discourse. Much of this discourse is stereotypical, anecdotal and often unsubstantiated. Indeed, relative to the extent of comment on Islam and Muslims, few factual data exist on what Muslims really think. This article presents the views and opinions of the Queensland Muslim community based on the findings of a survey conducted at the 2009 Muslim Eid Festival in Brisbane. The findings of this research contradict many of the assumptions made about Australia's Muslims concerning their views and opinions on a range of social and political issues. The research shows that Muslims highly value Australia's key social and political institutions, including its democracy, judiciary, education and health-care systems. However, Muslims do express a lack of trust in certain institutions, namely the mass media. Also, consistent with the views of people globally, Muslims are deeply concerned about conflicts in the Middle East as well as the environmental crisis. This article suggests the need for a shift in public discourse to more accurately reflect the commonality, rather than incongruity, between Muslim views, opinions and concerns and those of the wider society.

The Australian Government has tried to counter the threat of Islamic extremism by investing in mentoring and educational initiatives. Fearful of the potential for "home-grown" extremism, especially after the July 2005 London attacks, the Australian authorities seek to counter the narrow-minded narrative of extremism by sponsoring "moderate Islam". This approach is aimed at presenting a counter-ideology to Islamism, and has had some success. But it neglects the broader context of Muslim experience which is marked by socioeconomic under-privilege and political alienation. These experiences marginalise Australian Muslims and make them vulnerable to extremist ideas. This pattern is most evident among the youth, whose sense of self is still in flux. Furthermore, the state's sponsorship of "moderate Islam" puts Australia on a questionable path as it chips away at the principle of the separation of state and religion and makes moderate Muslims vulnerable to accusation of "betraying" Islam by the more radical elements in the Muslim community. This paper argues that efforts by the Australian Government to counter radicalisation are hindered by a range of political, cultural and socioeconomic factors and analyses these factors in the light of historical, ethnic, cultural and social conditions relevant to the Muslim community in Australia.

This article presents the findings of a national survey on Islam in Australia based on responses of 1034 Muslim Australian citizens and permanent residents. Knowing what Muslim Australians think about Islam in relation to Australian society is essential for a more informed understanding about Islam and Muslims needed to address misinformation, Islamophobia, and extremism. The findings presented in this article include typologies of Muslims; sources of influence concerning Islam; interpretations of the Qur’an; perspectives on ethical, social, and theological issues; issues of concern; social connections and sense of belonging; views on various Muslim-majority countries; and perspectives concerning political Islam, including jihad, caliphate, and shariah. While respondents’ understandings, interpretations, and expressions of Islam overall align with values and principles of equality, human rights, social cohesion, and social justice, a minority were found to understand and interpret I...

İbrahim Dellal (1932-2018) has been a community activist and played a pioneering role in establishing religious and educational institutions since his arrival in Melbourne in early 1950. As the grandson of late Ottoman Mufti, being educated at the American Academy, a Baptist missionary school in Cyprus, clashed at times with his traditional upbringing based on Islam, service and Ottoman patriotism. İbrahim’s parents, especially his mother, raised their son to be Osmanli Efendisi, an Ottoman gentleman. He was raised to be loyal to his faith and dedicated to his community. I met him in the late 80s in Sydney. I discovered that he was an important community leader, a ‘living history’, perhaps the most important figure in the Australian Muslim community since the mid-20th century. He is also one of the founders of the Carlton and Preston Mosques, which are the first places of worship that survived till today in Victoria. I wrote his biography and published it in 2010. However, later I found that he had more stories related to Australian Muslim heritage.  Firstly, this essay will analyse his untold stories which is from İbrahim’s unrevealed archives that I collected. Secondly, İbrahim’s traditional upbringing which is a combination of western education and Ottoman Efendisi will be critically evaluated. He successfully amalgamated Eurocentric education and Islamic way of life. Finally, his poetry which reflects his thoughts will be discussed.

Tulisan ini berjudul "Pulang ke Rumah" untuk mengekspresikan konsep "rumah" bagi Muslim yang berdiaspora di dunia Barat. Tulisan ini merupakan kajian etnografis mengenai salah satu representasi lingkungan Muslim di Barat (Australia) dan pusat kajian Islam di sana. Kajian ini secara lebih khusus, membicarakan transformasi Muslim di dunia Barat, yakni di Canberra, Australia, yang direpresentasikan oleh the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies (CAIS), the Australian National University (ANU). Para sarjana yang disebut dalam kajian ini adalah Amin Saikal, Zahra Taheri, Armando Salvatore, James Piscatori, Murat Yurbilir, Dale Eickelman, France Meyer, Kirill Nourzhanov, Huda al-Tamimi, dan Raihan Ismail.

Over the past decade, issues concerning Islam and Muslims have featured prominently in public and media discourse. Much of this discourse is stereotypical, anecdotal and often unsubstantiated. Indeed, relative to the extent of comment on Islam and Muslims, few ...