Chairman of the Australian National Imams Council Sheikh Shady Soleiman Becomes a Speaker on MUI TV
Jakarta, MINA – The MUI Foreign Relations Commission and MUI TV invited the Chair of the Australian National Imam Council (ANIC), Sheikh Shady Soleiman in an interview on March 16, 2022.
The interview was conducted by the Head of the MUI Foreign Relations Commission Commission, Ambassador Bunyan Saptomo.
Sheikh Shady is the second generation of Palestinian immigrants in Australia who was born and raised in Australia and had continued his Islamic religious education in Pakistan and Syria.
Answering Ambassador Bunyan’s question about ANIC, Sheikh Shady explained, among other things, that ANIC is an umbrella organization for Muslims in Australia, like MUI in Indonesia.
According to Sheikh Shady, ANIC is actually a clerical organization, but because the term “ulama” is less popular in Australian society and the Western world in general than “imam”, it was decided to use the name “Imam organization”.
ANIC oversees more than 200 mosques and Islamic Centers in Australia. This assembly also oversees a number of Islamic schools and halal certification institutions in Australia. ANIC actually already has an MOU on Cooperation with MUI, but the implementation of the MOU has not yet been implemented.
Talking about the history of the entry of Islam, Sheikh Shady explained, Islam has actually entered Australia since 500 years ago, which was brought by Bugis sailors who periodically landed on the north coast of Australia.
“Traces of Islam brought by Bugis sailors are still found in the oral stories of Aboriginal tribes in Northern Australia,” said Shady.
After the British invaders entered Australia, the British brought a number of Afghans and camels to aBritish invaders in land transportation across the deserts of Central Australia.
However, the Islam of the Afghan descent has disappeared, because it has mingled with the Christian majority.
“After the second world war, most of the Muslim immigrants managed to maintain their Islamic identity, after they built mosques and gave Islamic education to the younger generation. Currently, the Islamic community in Australia consists not only of Muslim immigrants, but also Australians who have converted to Islam,” said Shady.
“However, it is recognized that the big challenge for the Muslim community in Australia, a country that is predominantly non-Muslim, is how to keep their families from losing their faith and Islam,” continued Shady.
Talking about the importance of Ramadan in Australia, he explained, among other things, that Ramadan for Australian Muslims is like a very important time.
The month of Ramadan is like recharging the battery of Muslim faith. The mosque, which had been rather quiet for 11 months, became crowded and full, and the relationship between people who had begun to loosen up was re-established.
In closing, Sheikh Shady hopes to follow up on the MOU that has been signed with MUI. He also did not forget to wish a happy fasting to MUI TV viewers wherever they are. (T/RE1)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
