The Islamic Spectrum in Australia - Building cultural bridges through understanding
A symposium on Islamic culture: art, architecture, food, religion, history and music
Co-presented
by NEXUS Multicultural Arts Centre and
The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial
Centre, UniSA
Thursday 1 May 2008
Venues:
UniSA City West
campus, Hawke Building level 5, Bradley Forum
and NEXUS Multicultural Arts Centre, Cnr North Terrace and Morphett Street,
Adelaide
Program (return to full program)
Message from Mr Ikabel Patel, President, Australian
Federation of Islamic Councils
The Face of Islam in Australia
I greet you with the universal greeting of Islam, “ Assalaamu Alaikum” –
Peace be with You.
“O Mankind! Verily, We have created you from a single pair of male and a
female, and have made you nations and tribes that you may know one another.
But verily the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah is the best in conduct.
Verily Allah is Knower, Aware” Quran 49:13
As the above verse indicates humanity is one. Our value as human beings is
attained through piety, compassion, kindness and acceptance.
The history of Muslims in Australia dates back to the 17th century, well
before European contact with the mainland. The Makassan traders from
Indonesia had a harmonious relationship with the Indigenous people of
northern Australia. The early fleet of settlers also used Muslims, from
coastal Africa and the islands and territories under the British Empire, as
slaves and navigators. There were also a number of convicts who were sent to
Australia for the crime of “disobedience”. Most of these early Muslims
inter-married with the local community and their descendants were
assimilated into the society.
However, in the 1860’s a large number of “Afghan” cameleers arrived in
Australia to work the camel trains which opened up the interior of the
continent. They also accompanied the great explorers and were instrumental
in guiding the teams through the hot and arid terrain. They eventually
settled in the areas near Alice Springs and in the Northern Territory and
many inter-married with the indigenous population. The remains of the oldest
mosque in Australia is situated near Maree in South Australia and the Great
Mosque of Adelaide was built by the descendants of the cameleers.
Muslims have continued to contribute positively to this nation. The Bosnian
and Kosovar Muslims participated in the Snowy Mountain Scheme in the 1960’s
and in recent times, the largest and most lucrative Halal foods export trade
in the world is operated by Muslims here in Australia.
According to the last census over 35% percent of Muslims are born here. The
character and outlook of Muslims in Australia come from ,ore than 70 ethnic
groupings. Anyone can be Muslim because Islam was delivered as a mercy to
all humanity.
Thank you for listening and I leave, bidding you: Peace.
Opening reflections
Professor Pal Ahluwalia, Pro Vice Chancellor, Division of Education, Arts and Social Sciences, University of South Australia
Pal has been a Visiting Professor with UC Berkeley, and Professor with the Goldsmiths College at the University of London, where he was also Director of the Centre for Postcolonial Studies. Among his main research interests are the processes of diaspora, exile, migration, and the complexities of identity formation.
Keynote Address
Dr
Ameer Ali, Murdoch University, WA
Islamic Culture or Muslim Cultures? The Missing Pieces in
Australian Cultural Kaleidoscope
There is no such thing as Islamic culture. There are a number of particular ethno-nationalistic cultures which have Islamised their cultural particularism with the universal values enshrined in the Quran and the life of the Prophet. I will engage in this discussion briefly and then move on to spell out the different aspects of these particular cultures which have come to Australia along with its carriers. Examples are, different fashionable attires, cuisines, arts and music, architecture and so on. The obsession with Islamic religious militancy and its destructive consequences in the West has prevented the cultural aspects of ethnic Muslims from playing its historic role of civilizational enrichment. My conclusion from this short exposure is that it is Islam in the form of an amalgam of cultural particularisms rather than as a monolithic universal religion that has the greatest potential to build bridges and become the social unifier in a multicultural Australia.
Dr Ameer Ali is a Visiting Fellow in Economics attached to the
Business School at the Murdoch University in Western Australia. He was the
former Chair of the Muslim Community Reference Group under the Howard
Government and the immediate Past-President of the Australian Federation of
Islamic Councils. He is also the Vice-President of the Regional Islamic
Council of South East Asia and the Pacific, which is an umbrella
organization of the Muslims in twenty-two countries including Australia. He
is a member of the Executive Committee of the World Muslim League and an
associate editor of the Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs. In addition, he
is also a member of the National Consutative Committee on Security Issues
appointed by DFAT and a member of the Australian Interfaith Dialogue Group
chosen by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is the author of "From Penury
to Plenty: Development of Oil Rich Brunei" (2002) and has published widely
in the field of economics and Muslim affairs in a number of international
journals.
SESSION I: Historical and Cultural Perspectives
Dr Zaniah Marshallsay,
Lecturer in Islam and world politics, UniSA
From Camels to Cronulla – Muslims in Australia
Muslim presence in Australia pre-dated European settlement, and since the
late 19th century with the arrival of Afghan cameleers, constitutes an
important component of the Australian population. My talk focuses on some
major concerns of Australian Muslims in adapting and integrating into the
wider society as citizens/nationals of their country of residence and as
adherents of a specific religion. The situation of Australian Muslims also
reflects the experiences of people living in transnational settings where
people from a wide range of backgrounds interact. In such a setting, for
Muslims the effect has been a heightening of a sense of bonding in a
community of faith while at the same time bringing out the reality of
difference. I will also bring in some of the challenges that their presence
pose to the broader society they live in. Most importantly, Australian
Muslims should not be seen as a homogenous group and that distinctions
should also be made when we talk about Islam and Muslims.
Dr Zaniah Marshallsay has been with the University of South Australia
since 1996 and teaches in the International Studies program in the School of
International Studies, including two courses, at undergraduate and
postgraduate levels, on Islam and its relations on national politics,
regional and international relations. Prior to this, she was at Monash
University between 1993 and 1995 where she lectured in the Malay Language
and Malaysian Studies in the Department of Asian Languages and Studies. She
was also Foundation Director of the Centre of Malaysian Studies, Monash
University. Her research interests and activities are in the areas of Islam
in the contemporary world, education and development, gender and development
with a particular focus on Southeast Asian countries as well as. Her current
research activities are in the areas of identities among Muslims living as
minorities in the developed and developing countries.
Janine Evans, Author
The Australian Muslim identity
Janine Evans, author and mother of three, ‘grew up Christian…I didn’t have any Muslim friends until I met my husband when I was 28 and converted in 1992 before my wedding’. In 2005 they lived in South Africa when the London bombings happened. They came back to Australia just before the Bali bombings: ‘there it was again - all that anti-Muslim sentiment. I wanted to reach all the people I’d never meet to show them Muslims are just normal Australians trying to get by and make a living. That’s why I wrote my book “to 2 veil or not 2 veil: the life of an Aussie Muslim”. It’s about my journey from mainstream Christian Australian to minority Muslim Australian. It’s also a resource book aimed at teenagers, and hopefully it’ll go a way to showing our common humanity.’
Janine Evans - Author '2 veil or not 2 veil - the life of an
Aussie Muslim' grew up in Adelaide after migrating from England with her
family when she was 2 years old. Janine converted to Islam 14 years ago and
since 9/11 has worked extensively to break down media stereotypes about the
'Australian Muslim' community. Her book describes her journey from
mainstream Christian Australian to minority Muslim Australian and how the
current world political climate affects her and those in her community on a
daily basis. It also sheds light on misconceptions we have in the West about
Islam & the 'veil'. She is married with 3 sons.
Bahariah Mahmud
A one “ I “ view on Food and being a Muslim in Australia
We all love our food (although there are exceptions I believe) but our preferences and tastes are moulded during childhood within our homes and further influenced by culture and the environment, the country we were born in and our interaction and communication with other ethnic groups and cultures. We, therefore, develop our own individual approach to food and eating practices. Being a Muslim, however, also introduces one common denominator that transcends all this and connects one to the global Muslim community – that some food are Halal and some Haram and some best to be avoided whenever possible. Moreover, there is also a period that happens once every year when one has to abstain completely from eating during the day. In my experience, these 2 most important characteristics of the Muslim food practice are also the 2 that arouses the curiosity of non-Muslims and causes a lot of misunderstanding.
My talk will briefly discuss these characteristics and will then concentrate on what it means personally to me from the practical aspect of living in Australia.
Bahariah Mahmud - Born and developed a fascination for the food of
various ethnic groups and cultures, in Malaysia; arrived in Australia during
the era of gluggy rice and yellow stews pretending to be curries, graduated
with a BA and Dip Ed from the Adelaide University, taught in several schools
in S.A., was a lecturer in vocational education at Underdale Campus,
ex-Coordinator of the MRC in Woodville, ex-Executive Director of Nexus,
involved in SSABSA in various aspects, now working in the travel industry
and still extending the range and depth of the passion for the various
tastes of food.
SESSION II: Art and Architecture
James Bennett, Art Gallery of South Australia
Presenting Islamic art to an Australian audience: the Crescent Moon
beneath the Southern Cross
James Bennett is currently Curator of Asian Art at the Art Gallery of South Australia since 2003 and previously was the Curator of Southeast Asian Art and Material Culture at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin. In 2005 he curated Crescent Moon: Islamic art and civilisation of Southeast Asia which was the first international exhibition of Southeast Asian Islamic art ever staged and involved the participation of museums from Indonesian, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. He also curated the permanent display of Islamic art at the Art Gallery of South Australia which opened in 2004 and today continues to be the only permanent display dedicated specifically to Islamic art in an Australian public gallery. He has also worked extensively in the area of cultural exchange between Indonesia and Australia, including with indigenous Australian artists.
Dr Selen Morkoc, University of Adelaide
Many Faces of Islam: A Journey through Architectural Culture
Despite prevalent media coverage that promotes Islam as a monolithic-unchanging essence; fed upon several cross-cultural encounters and influences, Islamic culture has been plural throughout history. Architecture is a convenient ground to delve into the richness of Islamic culture. This presentation aims to take the audience through a visual and verbal journey in which prominent examples of Islamic architectural culture all around the world will be introduced.
Dr Selen B. Morkoc has taught design and architecture history in
Turkey and Australia. She is an expert on Ottoman architecture. She has
lectured and published widely on the interpretation of Islamic architecture.
Her most recent research focuses on mosque architecture in Australia.
Philip Griffin
Music in the Islamic World
Philip Griffin will provide an overview and briefly discuss the major styles of Islamic music and attempt to address the following questions: What is Islamic Music? When is music haram or halal? How does Islamic music fit into the vast array of global musical styles?
Philip Griffin has been playing music from the Middle East and the
Balkan region for more than 25 years. He lived in the Middle East for three
years and travelled to a number of countries whilst living there. He works
as an instrumentalist, conductor and singer across a range of musical
styles, including Balkan gypsy, Turkish classical, music-theatre and
oratario.
Panel discussion
Facilitator: Ms Gala Mustafa: Member of SA Multicultural & Ethnic Affairs Commission
-
Dr Omar Lum, a general practitioner and Chairperson of the Muslim
League of SA
Medical Practitioner, Chairperson Islamic Foundation Australia; Chairperson, Board of Trustees, Australian International Academy (which runs Islamic schools in Melbourne, Sydney and Abu Dhabi); Vice Chairperson, Australian Islamic Education Board, Sydney; Secretary, Australian Islamic Cultural Centre, Sydney; Trustee, Al-Faisal College, Sydney; Member of Muslim Reference Committee South Australia; Former Chairperson of Islamic Society of South Australia and Australian Federation of Islamic Councils - Dr Waleed Alkhazrajy, fled Iraq in 1995 and spent time in detention, is now a consultant anaesthetist
- Dr Ameer Ali, Murdoch University, WA and former chairman of the Muslim Community Reference Group
- Saffia El Attar
Sponsored
by the Australia Council for the Arts