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Showing posts with label Terrorism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Terrorism. Show all posts

Saturday 23 March 2019

Islam and Life of Muslims in Non Muslim Countries: New Zealand


New Zealand, the far esterly country, has always been peaceful and accommodative of people from across the world even belonging to religions other than the majority religion of Christianity. Muslims are a very negligible part of the population, 1-2% and have been there since 1850s when the first Muslim from India came to Cashmere. Thereafter, Muslims have been trickling in but never in large numbers.

The first Islamic organisation in New Zealand, the New Zealand Muslim Association (NZMA), was established in Auckland in 1950. In 1951 the refugee boat SS Goya brought over 60 Muslim men from eastern Europe, including Mazhar Krasniqi who would later serve twice as president of the New Zealand Muslim Association. 

Significant increase in Muslim populations is attributed to the arrival of mainly Indo-Fijians in the 1970s, and later followed by professionals after the first Fiji coup of 1987. In the 1990s many migrants came from the war torn countries like Somalia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Kosovo and Iraq. There are also a significant number of Muslims from Iran who live in New Zealand.
Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, image. © Farrukh, Flickr/ CC

As per 2013 census there were approximately 47,000 Muslims in the country. New Zealand  has a number of mosques in the major centres, and two Islamic schools (Al Madinah and Zayed College for Girls). The Al Noor Mosque in Riccarton, Christchurch, was the world's southernmost mosque until 1999. The majority of New Zealand Muslims are Sunnis but there is a large number of Shias who live in New Zealand, concentrated mainly in Auckland.

The life of people of New Zealand and Muslims has been a beautiful example of peaceful coexistence ever sine and despite concerns of islamophobia in some minds, nothing of the sort ever happened here. Muslims, mostly professionals and well read have been a valuable asset of the Kiwi society and have always been productive. The Muslims from Pakistan have generally been called Pakistani Kiwis and so were others. New Zealand is pretty tolerant from a religious perspective, and has an expectation of religious tolerance. No one particularly cares what religion one believes in, unless someone tries to impose your religious/cultural beliefs on others in some way. Almost 9 out of 10 New Zealanders believe that it is positive to have a diverse society, made up of different religions, cultures and ethnic groups, according to a survey carried out in the country in 2008 by Ward & Masgoret.





The common New Zealanders have generally been talking positively about Muslims being around: 
  • Aaron Alexander, born in Christchurch, live in Wellington, New Zealand's capital city, says: "We are certainly not immune to small-mindedness and bigotry in some places. And certainly fearful and bigoted people are being emboldened here as they are elsewhere in the West. Also, public sentiment is shifting against immigration on the whole, though that is about housing availability and is not about Muslims in particular. I believe that on the whole New Zealand prides itself on being a tolerant, open society. As such, the prevailing attitude regarding Islam would be, at the very least ‘we have no problem with Muslim people and we’ll treat them better than most other places these days’."
  • Andrew Lim, originally from Malaysia, have lived in New Zealand since 2004 says that  Having lived in New Zealand for twelve years, I would say that the country is generally safe and welcoming to immigrants. Auckland has several mosques and the University of Auckland has a large number of Muslim students, mainly from Malaysia, South Asia, and the Middle East. The University also has its own Muslim prayer room and Muslim association. Muslims are the fastest growing religious group in New Zealand with a sixfold increase between 1991 and 2006 alone. However, we do have some elements of Islamophobia in New Zealand society. Not to the same level as in the US and Europe thankfully but still disconcerting for some. There are some anti-Islamic elements in New Zealand like the politician Richard Prosser, the conservative magazine editor Ian Wishart, and the right-wing blogger Cameron Slater but their views on Islam don’t reflect the general public’s views.
  • Jim Schofield, lives in New Zealand is of the view that there is some discrimination and there are occasional anti-Muslim acts, largely limited to graffiti on mosques etc and ‘passive’ discrimination against women with head coverings (i.e. fairly low level - the chances of encountering overt racism/anti-Muslim discrimination is less; the chances of violence or race riots is much lower than for example Australia or the UK). Muslim have been members of Parliament, and there’s a fairly large Muslim population from a huge number of Muslim nations. So there’s a substantial number of Mosques and communities of Muslims around NZ - to me, they’re “fine” - they don’t cause any concern whatsoever to me, and in turn they don’t cause any notable “problems” (to me).
All was going well till a lone white Christian from Australia chose to make a difference. The gory and ghastly terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, namely the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Mosque, that resulted in to death of 50 Muslims and injuring a large number, disturbed the peace and tranquility that always existed in New Zealand. No words can describe the tragedy, but the way the local people reacted to this terrorist act was really moving. People form all walks of life and religion stood behind the Muslims in their hour of grief and displayed a superb unity against terrorism that shattered everyone's hearts.

The massacre showed the rare side of human beings: The spirit to protect others while daring to stand in front of the assailant. A wife from Bangladesh shielded her husband on wheelchair and gave her life in protecting him. A father wrapped around his four years old son to protect him from the spraying bullets and succumbed to his wounds. A Pakistan teacher Naeem Rashid dared the attacker by trying to block his way and lost his life. Life would go on without those fifty who perished, but their memories shall always remain forever.
The New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern instantly rose to the occasion and appeared on the TV with a head covering, a Muslim woman's attire, and strongly condemned the attack. And vowed to ban the automatic and semi automatic weapons which could be used by terrorists. she also went about meeting the families of the victims and assuring them of every possible support they might need. She also announced bearing expenses on the funeral of all those who perished in the terrorist attack.

In a rare display of solidarity with the Muslims, 22nd March was declared as the Wear the Hijab Day to express the love people of New Zealand have for their Muslim community and on Friday everywhere non Muslim women were seen head scarves as a mark of solidarity with Muslim women who lost their relatives.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and other New Zealanders joined the Muslims in Hagley Park adjacent to the Al Noor Mosque where most of the victims perished in Christchurch on Friday to listen to the Muslim call to prayer. The call to prayer was also aired on the NZ TV.

The emotions and solidarity shown by the ordinary citizens of the New Zealand to sympathize with the Muslims will go a long way in the hearts of the Muslims living in New Zealand and even all over the world and will always be thankful to them for being with them in their hour of grief and extreme test. While Ardern told the gathering, "New Zealand mourns with you, we are one," the imam of the Al Noor mosque, Gamal Fouda, said in thanking New Zealanders for their support and compassion since the attacks. "We are brokenhearted, but we are not broken, this terrorist sought to tear our nation apart with an evil ideology ... but we have shown that New Zealand is unbreakable."

The people of Christchurch are attending funerals of the perished Muslims and coming forward in expressing their grief with the bereaved families. Watch the video below with moving emotional scens:

Author's Note: The data above has been collected from the references as given below. If any one differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Naeem Rashid: A hero who dared the Christchurch terrorist
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Friday 15 March 2019

Islamophobia takes lives of dozens of Muslims Worshipers in two Mosques of New Zealand


It was sad day today for the Muslims of Christ Church, New Zealand in particular and Muslims all over the world in general when a white Christian man sprayed bullets over the Muslim worshipers gathered in the Mosques for the Friday congregational prayers. As per reports available, forty-one people were shot dead at the Deans Ave mosque, seven were killed at the Linwood Ave attack, and one person shot in the second mosque attack died in hospital.

The man, who identified himself on Twitter as “Brenton Tarrant” from Australia and whose whose background NSW counter-terrorism police are now investigating after the revelation that he is from Grafton, said he carried out the attack to “directly reduce immigration rates to European lands”.

The terrorist had the nerves and boldness to capture the entire shooting through his helmet mounted camera, the video has been released and is viral on the social media. When he entered the mosque Al Noor, an elderly man greeted him "Come in brother" but was brutally gunned down:
In the video, a man, later identified as Naeem Rashid from Pakistan is seen trying to stop the terrorist but was gunned down. He was taken to hospital but succumbed to his injuries. Naeem's 22 years old son also perished in the attack.
 Naeem Rashid (above) - Trying to get hold of the terrorist (below)

The Bangladesh Cricket Team which was there in the city and its members were arriving at the mosque narrowly escaped and the tour has been canceled. Soon after the deadly news, the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the incident as a terrorist attack and one of New Zealand's "darkest days".





While the world mourns and condemns the terror attack, a senator form Queensland, Australia did not have the sagacity to condemn the attack, rather he blamed Muslims for the conditions they had created that instigated the killer to kill. See the letter that is on the Facebook:
Reading this letter, one can safely conclude that such supporters of anti Muslim sentiments are to be blamed and even held accountable for their writings are a proof of open instigation for all those who are obsessed with Islamophobia.

May all those who perished in the brutal terrorist attack may rest in peace and be blessed the highest place in Jannah. May their families bear this loss with fortitude. Aameen

The question arises: How should Muslims around the world react to such acts of instigative Islamophobic acts? Please read my earlier post of the subject which I wrote some time ago: How should Muslims react to instigative emotional access

Author's Note: The data above has been collected from the references as given below. If any one differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

For more posts, please refer to our reference page: Islam and the rest of the WorldYou may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Sunday 9 December 2018

Life of Muslims in Non Muslim Countries: Japan


Islam in Japan is a relatively new religion. The earliest Muslim records of Japan can be found in the works of the Muslim cartographer Ibn Khordadbeh, who has mentioned Japan as the "lands of Waqwaq": "East of China are the lands of Waqwaq, which are so rich in gold that the inhabitants make the chains for their dogs and the collars for their monkeys of this metal. They manufacture tunics woven with gold. Excellent ebony wood is found there.” And: “"Gold and ebony are exported from Waqwaq." Mahmud Kashgari's 11th century atlas indicates the land routes of the Silk Road and Japan in the map's easternmost extent. [1]

From then on, the presence and mention of Muslims is found during the various dynastic rules. Some Portuguese sailors are said to have made a mention of an Arab passenger aboard their ship, who had sailed to the islands in Malacca in 1555 and preached Islam to the people of Japan. The scriptural Islamic made their inroads to Japan in the last quarter of the 19th century when the biography of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was translated into Japanese. This helped Islam spread and reach the Japanese people. Another important contact was made in 1890 when the Ottoman Empire dispatched a frigate "Ertugrul"  to Japan for the purpose of saluting the visit of Japanese Prince Komatsu Akihito to Constantinople several years earlier. However, the vessel was destroyed in a storm along the coast of Wakayama Prefecture on September 16, 1890. [1]

Tokyo Camii (mosque) in Yoyogi, Tokyo -(Photo WAEDA University - Research Associate Hirofumi Okai)

After the Russian October Revolution,  hundreds of Turko-Tatar Muslim refugees from Central Asia and Russia came to Japan and given asylum. In 1909 the first ethnic Japanese, Kotaro Yamaoka embraced Islam and took the name Omar Yamaoka. He also became the first Japanese to go on the Hajj. During his journey, he also sought the Sultan's approval for building a mosque in Tokyo. This approval was granted in 1910 and the Tokyo Mosque (more on Tokyo mosque a little while later) completed in 1938. However, Kobe Mosque was Japan’s first mosque built in 1935 with the support of the Turko-Tatar community.

Some nationalistic organizations have been instrumental in petitioning the Japanese government on matters such as officially recognizing Islam, along with Shintoism, Christianity and Buddhism as a religion in Japan, and in providing funding and training to Muslim resistance movements in Southeast Asia, such as the Hizbullah, a resistance group funded by Japan in the Dutch Indies. The Greater Japan Muslim League founded in 1930, was the first official Islamic organization in Japan and caused an "Islamic Studies Boom". It was the time when Shūmei Ōkawa managed to complete his translation of the Qur'an.

After the World War II, Turks were the biggest Muslim community in Japan. The Japanese invasion of China and South East Asian regions during the WW II brought the Japanese in contact with Muslims. Those who converted to Islam through them returned to Japan and established in 1953 the first Japanese Muslim organization, the "Japan Muslim Association", which was officially granted recognition as a religious organization in 1968. The economic boom in Japan in the 1980s saw an influx of immigrants to Japan. Today, there are Muslim student associations at some Japanese universities.




As for the total population of Muslims, the estimates are mere speculations as there are no official account available. As per some Japanese scholars, Muslim population is around 70,000, of which perhaps 90% are resident foreigners and about 10% native Japanese. Of the immigrant communities, in order of population size, are Indonesians, Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and Iranians. The Pew Research Center estimated that there were 185,000 Muslims in Japan in 2010.

The Japanese have started to realize the importance of growing Muslim population in Japan and wish to understand them better which they call the first step in living in harmony starts from taking an interest in the other party:
“By the end of this century, Muslims will overtake Christians to become the world’s largest religion in terms of followers. In fact, it is not uncommon to find Muslim community in our surroundings. It is important for us to first lend a listening ear to better understand them in order for us to live in harmony with the Muslim community,” says Professor Tanada from the Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University. [2]
Japan has seen an increase in people converting to Islam. The majority of Japanese converts are believed to enter the faith upon marriage to foreign Muslim spouses. Shigeru Shimoyama, a spokesman for the Tokyo Camii and a convert himself, estimated in an interview with Nippon News in 2013 that around five Japanese enter the Islamic faith every month. Japanese wrestling icon Antonio Inoki famously converted to Islam in the 1990s, changing his name officially to Muhammad Hussain Inoki, a decision he revealed publicly only recently. Besides becoming an emblem of religious tolerance, Inoki continues to make his mark as an ambassador for world peace on the global stage.[4]

Since the beginning of 1990s, there has been an increasing number of mosques being built across the Japanese archipelago, from Okinawa prefecture all the way to Hokkaido prefecture. Even though there are currently over 90 mosques throughout Japan, most Japanese are unaware of it. The Muslims living in Japan come from diverse backgrounds – nationality, ethnicity, culture, lifestyle, clothing, etc. Some Muslims strictly follow customs and traditions such as prayers and fasting, while others enjoy more freedom. As such, people who have never met or interacted with a Muslim might have misconceptions and stereotypes about them. [2]


Saeed Akhtar of NAHA [Photo]

One of the top concerns for Muslims traveling to non-Muslim countries is food. Nippon Asia Halal Association (NAHA) which is one of the halal certification organizations in Japan, sends out its auditors to visit eateries to ensure that the ingredients and equipment used meet halal standards. NAHA chair Dr. Saeed Akhtar, overseeing the certification process, commends Japanese as “sincere and thorough in complying with halal rules.” Dr Saeed Akhtar, is graduate from the University of Agriculture, Rawalpindi and the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. He received his PhD in 1999 from the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo. [3]


The mosque on wheels has the capacity for up to 50 people [Mobile Mosque Executive Committee via AP]

Muslims are given due consideration when it comes to performance of their religious rituals. As Japan prepares to host visitors from around the world for the 2020 Summer Olympics, a Tokyo sports and cultural events company has created a mosque on wheels that its head hopes will make Muslim visitors feel at home. Sakaguchi, the representative director of an Osaka retail company says, "Going forward, I would be so happy if people from Indonesia, Malaysia, Africa, the Middle East and, for example, refugees who are coming from Syria are able to use the mosque as a tool to promote world peace." [6]

However, living in Japan as a foreigner and as a Muslims has its own problems. The main problem arises when one is seen as a non-Japanese, which something instantly known due sharp contrast between the physical appearance. In fact foreigners are known as "gaijin or gaikokujin," literally “people from the outside.” And when it comes to religion, Japanese Christians and Muslims are to a degree seen as somewhat 'different' as they subscribe to what are widely perceived as being foreign ideas. There are many more traditional people who would say that their views make them rather less Japanese. In fact in Japan, one is either Japanese or they are not. [5]

Due to small space available in most of the mosques, the space cramps are felt during larger congregations like during the Ramadan and Eid festivals. “We had to hold the prayers four separate times so all the people lining up could fit in,” explains Haroon Qureshi, secretary-general of the mosque’s Japan Islamic Trust organization. “There must have been 1,000 people waiting to pray.” [4]

The fears over Muslims' presence in the wake of Islamophobia is yet another concern for the Muslims. Although, Islamic terrorism represents no domestic threat in Japan today, and never has in the past, many Muslims feel that while performing their religious rituals in congregations, a cloud hangs over their celebrations and it seems that they are constantly under the ever-watchful eyes of the police. Qureshi, like almost all of Japan’s roughly 100,000 Muslim residents, is no stranger to police surveillance. However, the true extent of the systematic profiling and surveillance of Japan’s Muslim community only came to light in 2010, when over 100 internal Metropolitan Police Department documents were leaked on line. The leak revealed that the police had compiled detailed profiles on 72,000 Muslims and their including personal information. The leak also showed that police had at times planted cameras inside mosques and used undercover agents to infiltrate Islamic nonprofit organizations and halal grocers and restaurants. [4]

Junko Hayashi, 37, a Japanese Muslim who converted to Islam in 2001, has also become the country’s first female Muslim lawyer. Commenting on the leaked police surveillance of Muslims, Hayashi argues “If somebody did something wrong, did something suspicious, then the police have a good reason to watch them. But when you are just being Muslims — acting like a Muslim — it doesn't make sense.” 

A Japanese convert to Islam, who asked that his real name not be used, says that when intelligence officers started regularly visiting him shortly after the 9/11 attacks, he was courteous. “They would come to me at home or at the mosque,” he recalls. “I didn't want to be misunderstood, for them to think I am against them, so I always gave them my time. They always asked me very simple questions about Islam, and eventually I told them they were just wasting time. “There are better ways to use the citizens’ tax money,” he adds with a laugh. He was among those listed in the leaked documents, and was one of the 17 Muslims who took the government to court over the spying.

Herein under watch the video on how ordinary Japanese think about Islam and Muslims:
As can be seen from the video, the general perception about the Muslims is very positive. We do hope, with no case of Muslim terrorism ever taken place in Japan, the life of Muslims in Japan will come to an ease as Japanese authorities start to understand the very peaceful Muslim community of their country.

To know more about life of Muslims in other non Muslim countries, please visit our page: Islam and Life of Muslims in Non Muslim Countries.

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.

References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Monday 19 November 2018

Muslims in non Muslim Countries: Australia


I always thought that Australia is an outward looking country which absorbs people form all over the world, specially students and even allows immigration on very easy terms to professionals to add to their work force and progress of the country. But today a news caught my eyes which was really disturbing. The news heading read: Nearly half of Australians want the number of Muslim immigrants slashed following the Melbourne terrorist attack. Now this is really disturbing. If an Australian kills someone or sexually assaults a minor, no one question it for he is a Christian and Australia. Now read just another reported headline: The grubby dance school toilet cubicle where a girl, 7, was ‘sexually assaulted' by a man, 54 – as the ‘hero’ dentist who kicked the door in to rescue her breaks down while calling for a parole review. Now imagine if the assailant was a Muslim and then how differently this headline would have appeared.

I  had thought of writing about Muslims in Australia in my series of posts at a later stage for I thought Australians were more outwardly looking people than others and always embraced people of other faith with open hearts. But after reading the above headline, I thought of writing about plight of Muslims specially after the recent Melbourne terrorist attack.

After the dominating Christian region, Muslims are the second majority people. According to the 2016 Australian Census, the combined number of people who self-identified as Muslim in Australia, from all forms of Islam, constituted 604,200 people, or 2.6% of the total Australian population, an increase of over 15% of its previous population share of 2.2% reported in the previous census 5 years earlier.[1]

Muslims started vising Australia generally by Indonesian Muslims trepangers from the southwest corner of Sulawesi visited the coast of northern Australia, "from at least the eighteenth century"to collect and process trepang, a marine invertebrate prized for its culinary and medicinal values in Chinese markets.However the earlier settlers were the camel drivers of Afghan origin the mid to late 19th century. Between 1860 and the 1890s a number of Central Asians came to Australia to work as camel drivers. Camels were first imported into Australia in 1840. The camel drivers, from thence on who  came from many other countries, started to be called as 'Afghans' and they brought with them the first formal establishment of Islam in Australia.


Afghan grave Bourke [Photo]

However,  in the 1920s and 1930s Albanian Muslims, whose European heritage made them compatible with the White Australia Policy, immigrated to the country. Albanian Muslims built the first mosque in Shepparton, Victoria in 1960, first mosque in Melbourne in 1963 and a mosque in Mareeba, Far North Queensland in 1970. The Albanian community in Far North Queensland settled in the area in the early 20th century searching for work in the sugarcane and tobacco industries with many descendants still living in Mareeba, Cairns and other small towns across the Atherton Tablelands. Later Muslims from Bosnia and Turtkey aslo came in the 1970s and settled in Australia. Even as per 2011 census, 1,140 people identify as Aboriginal Muslims, almost double the number of Aboriginal Muslims have been recorded in the 2001 census.[1]




By the beginning of the 21st-century, Muslims from more than sixty countries had settled in Australia. While a very large number of them come from Bosnia, Turkey, and Lebanon, there are Muslims from Indonesia, Malaysia, Iran, Fiji, Albania, Sudan, Somalia, Egypt, the Palestinian territories, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, among others.Muslim students from countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, are among the thousands of international students studying in Australian universities.

Muslims have thus formed a size bale Muslim community in Australia and have been contributing positively yo the growth and development of the country. But in recent times, eye brows have started to be raised among the Christian majority community, even on production of Halal meat. The Halal meat products are exported to the Middle East and Southeast Asia and are a big source of earning for Australia. However, Halal certification has been criticized by anti-Halal campaigners, who argue that the practice funds the growth of Islam.

However recently the trend of intolerance towards Muslims is increasing and currently a great deal of interest in, and misunderstanding about, Australia's Muslim communities. Although Muslim Australians are not a homogeneous group as some media reports might lead us to believe, but make up a small, culturally diverse section of Australian society. But despite that, incidents like Melbourne recently are blown out of proportion, which even compelled the prime minister to come on TV and talk of terror Islam. and captions like Radical Islam are on the increase. I wonder how many of the total Muslim populations are of jihadi nature or are involved in terrorist activities. 

In fact such incidents should not mean that all Muslims are all suspect. And this worries the majority peace loving Muslims in Australia and even all non Muslim countries. Sensing a threat to their faith and way of living, the Muslims from various countries and sects are striving to change the negative perception. In a new SBS documentary, 10 Muslim Australians with vastly different views on their faith live under one roof for eight days to explore what it means to be a Muslim in modern, multicultural Australia. Marshall Heald of SBS is of the opinion: “Muslims Like Us showcases the diverse range of interpretations of Islam that are practiced in Australia, with the broader aim of giving Australian audiences a chance to learn more about what it means to be a Muslim today.” 

Watch this documentary:

What worries the Australis today is the ever increasing Muslim population. The number of Muslims living in the country has almost doubled from 341,000 in the the 2006 census. as per 2016 Census showed the Muslim population in Australia has soared to more than 604,000 people, overtaking Buddhism as the most popular non-Christian religion.  The Muslims are predominantly concentrated in Sydney and Melbourne, with the majority of the population being working class.

While most Muslim men can go unnoticed, it is the female Muslims wearing Hijab that are more often than not singled out . The Department of Immigration and Citizenship found 88 per cent of Muslims in Australia felt harshly judged for their religion. SBS columnist Ruby Hamad wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald that the media had been obsessing over Muslim women and their choice of Islamic garments for far too long. “The dynamic conversation about the veil’s place in western society has become an obsession to some people and it needs to be had both on the role and manifestation of modesty within Islam itself, and on the responsibility for children to follow the beliefs of their parents,” Ms Hamad said.

However, despite concerns and fear of Islamophobia, the life of Muslims is generally peaceful. And they do celebrate their religious events with much fanfare and large participation. The Islamic Eid Festival is widely celebrated throughout Australia by Muslim communities, with the biggest celebration being The Multicultural Eid Festival & Fair (MEFF) in Sydney. in 2014, the Islamic Museum of Australia was opened in Thornbury, 10 kilometres outside Melbourne’s city centre. It’s the first Islamic Museum in Australia and aims to dispel stereotypes and promote understanding of Islam’s unique heritage and its contributions to Australia. A rich collection of contemporary art by Australian Muslim artists as well as crafts and artifacts can be found here in five permanent galleries as well as one designated for visiting exhibitions. The museum also holds lectures, workshops, events, screenings and more.

Muslim-friendly restaurants in Australia are plenty and prominently display the halal sign – although be mindful that they are self-certified; currently there is no official restaurant certification body in Australia. By the way have you ever watched the show MasterChef Australia? Then you might be familiar with George Calombaris. Well, his Greek restaurant in Melbourne serves halal food so Muslim patrons can happily dig into the chicken wings in smoked black Aleppo mayo, grilled squid and calamari.

Author's Note: The data above has been collected from the references as given below. If any one differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

Photo: Chullora Greenacre Mosque  | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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