AUSTRALIA CHRISTIANS DISPEL ISLAMOPHOBIA
Sidney, 7 Dzulhijja 1435/1 October 2014 (MINA) – Concerned about the increase of Islamophobia in the Australian community, a church will be hosting interfaith events over the coming weeks, using a noticeboard that says “Muslims Welcome here”.
“We want to promote the understanding that while there are, and probably always will be, differences between religions the best way to deal with them is through hospitality and respectful conversation,” reverend Michael Barnes from Gordon Uniting Church.
“We, in a very small way, are doing this at Gordon Uniting,” he said, Onislam quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting, Wednesday.
The annual interfaith month of Gordon Uniting Church comes this year amid heavy anti-terror measures that have deliberately targeted the Muslim community, threatening the inclusion in the Australian community.
“While the message on our noticeboard, ‘Muslims welcome here’, coincides with our interfaith month, it didn’t arise directly from it but was rather a response to recent events in Australia in which anti-terrorist measures could have had the unintended consequence of making Muslims feel vulnerable in their own country,” Barnes said.
Aiming to bridge religious and cultural differences, the church has invited Muslims to attend its Sunday’s service that starts every week at 9:30 am.
Gordon Uniting Church interfaith events promote peace and justice through highlighting the similarities between faiths, according to Barnes.
The interfaith sessions will be delivered by several religious leaders including Mehmet Saral who will explain why jihadists do not represent Islam, Betsy Faen who’ll discuss Buddhism and Denis Foley who’ll talk about indigenous spirituality.
The church services were welcomed by Muslim leaders who described them a “step in the right direction”.
“Communication is an important tool in achieving understanding which in turn enhances harmony between communities,” Ziad Alwan from the Darulfatwa Islamic High Council said.
“We have, for many years now, been inviting people from all different backgrounds to attend all our religious and non-religious events.
“Through this, we have realized that explaining to people about our religious and cultural practices has helped in reducing prejudice attitudes towards us.”
Besides United Church interfaith services, other Christian leaders have called for showing solidarity with Muslims by respecting their beliefs.
“We need to go up to Muslim people and say G’day and ask them how they are going,” Anglican Pastor Dave Andrews was quoted by ABC.
“If we want to be accepted we need to accept them, if we want to be respected then we need to respect them.
“One of the great joys of my life is my engagement with the Muslim community. The people I am engaged with are bright, energetic, interesting, committed and peaceful people.”
Citing several anti-Muslim attacks, the Anglican pastor said that religious minority in Brisbane is feeling under siege.
“People in their community are too afraid to go outside. I have Muslim friends who text me daily about attacks. One woman was grabbed the other day and her hijab was pulled off in Logan,” he said.
“Another woman in a niqab was followed into a house and she was grabbed by her throat which frightened her.
“A friend sent me a photo of a serviette that was left under a windscreen that said ‘F off from our country you so and so’; Muslim people are experiencing this everyday at the moment. It is frightening for them,”he added.
Aiming to cripple the anti-Muslims prejudice, the pastor suggested some changes including cleaning up some of the offensive graffiti to show solidarity with Muslims.
“We have to understand that the majority of the Muslim population are not like these extremists, they share a vision of the world with liberty and equality and are as appalled of these crimes against humanity as we are,” the pastor said.
Muslims, who have been in Australia for more than 200 years, make up 1.7 percent of its 20-million population.
In post 9/11-era, Australian Muslims have been haunted with suspicion and have had their patriotism questioned.
The anti-Muslim sentiments further increased following last week’s anti-terror raids, deemed the biggest in Australian history, in which 15 people were arrested from north-western Sydney.
The raids were followed by a huge number of anti-Muslim attacks, including a mosque being defaced in Queensland and direct threats issued against the Grand Mufti of Australia.(T/P008/R03)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
