Sunday, August 14, 2005

Islam in the Northern Territory

Hurtling throught the blogosphere is an article of a seminar given in the Northern Territory by a local muslim community leader.


Information Session on

UNDERSTANDING ISLAM

A View from Within

by Dr Hassan Bajhau from the Islamic Council of the NT

Thursday August 11, 2005 10 am – 12 pm

This Information Session is presented by the ‘Faith in Harmony’ Project of the Multicultural Council of the NT and sponsored by the Federal Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.

In today’s context, Islam is one of the most misunderstood and misjudged of the world’s major religions. Over many years, Australia’s Muslim community has made a positive and creative contribution to our multicultural society.

For a fifth of the world's population, Islam is not only a religion but a complete way of life. Muslims lead a disciplined life and follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness which abhors violence, yet because of recent tragic events, misconceptions and negative stereotypical views abound.

Dr Hassan Bajhau from the Islamic Council of the NT will provide a detailed insight into the beliefs and traditions of Islam from the perspective of life as a Muslim in contemporary secular Australian society. Various issues will be explored and Dr Bajhau will welcome questions from the audience. Learn about:

The historical relationship between Christianity, Judaism and Islam;

Commonalities and differences between the Islamic and non-Islamic world;

The role of women,

and the diversity of the Islamic community in the NT.

MCNT, Malak Centre – no cost – light lunch provided

Phone Ron at the Multicultural Council of the NT on 8945 9122 or email harmony@mcnt.org.au for more information. RSVP Tuesday August 9

The ‘Faith in Harmony’ Project is proudly supported by the Australian Government’s Living in Harmony initiative, which aims to promote community harmony. For more information about the Living in Harmony initiative, visit: www.harmony.gov.au


And from the pages of The Multicultural Council of the Northern Territory

The Understanding Islam Information Session

As part of the Faith in Harmony Project, the MCNT is presenting an Understanding Islam information session at MCNT from 10 am to 12 pm on Thursday August 11. There is no cost and a light lunch will be provided. The facilitator is Dr Hassan Bajhau from the Darwin Islamic community.

The aims of this session are to increase community understanding and to dispel the misconceptions of Islam, which is without doubt, the most misunderstood and misjudged of the world’s major religions; and to provide an authentic Islamic perspective on living in contemporary secular Australian society.

More information about this information session will be available soon, but download the flyer for this activity can be downloaded now.


Dr Bajhau is not happy with the treatment received by muslims in the Western world, and seems to think that it's our own fault if we get blown up. After all, those that have been committing atrocities have been educated by the West.

I could have sworn that Amrozi hadn't been further than Malaysia, but perhaps he is an undercover Rhodes Scholar.

I guess it's time to get out the tinfoil hats and start blaming the CIA again.

3 Comments:

At 11:24 PM, Blogger Minime said...

Keith, mate. If you ever met a true Muslim, you would not only take your words back, but throw them into a bottomless pit.

Many of the Muslim migrants from Europe along with the hard working Greeks and Italians, have contributed in many ways to society. Within my community, we have Muslim barristers, scientists, IT specialists, electricians, plumbers and even cleaners (to name but a few). YOU NAME IT, we have em. Whatever lil bit we do, it is all assisting in the functionality of a healthy society. We are as much a part of Australia as you are, so of course we want to contribute!! We want our children and grandchildren to live here in peace as much as you do.

 
At 11:27 PM, Blogger Minime said...

But then again, Keith is from New Zealand, I just realised that.

hmmm

oh well :)

 
At 10:36 AM, Blogger Nilk said...

Good point, Veiled Ninja (great name, by the way!), but....

While as individuals fitting into a society that is anathema to their religion muslims can be productive and worthy, what happens when there is a push for sharia law?

What about those muslims who seem to think that the secular rule of law in this country is only to be tolerated until it is no longer necessary to do so?

What about the muslims who want everybody in this country to become muslim?

Where are the democratic principles of our country then?

From all of my reading so far, there is no freedom of speech. There is no freedom of religion. There is no humane treatment of women and infidels.

Where in the Quran is there anything comparable to "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?"

Where doubt is an intrinsic part of the judeo-christian tradition, it is unacceptable in islam. Allah's word is what it is, and that's it.

If you have no reason to question, no reason to expand your mind and quest for the deeper meaning in your world, then how do you keep from stagnation?

Where is the free will?

 

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