Australian Mosques Welcome Visitors
"Anyone who has any doubt about what we do and what we teach is welcome to the mosque," Sheik Nawas Saleem of Hoppers Crossing Virgin Mary Mosque told ABC on Friday, October 30.
Saleem was inviting people to visit mosques during the open day organized by the Lebanese Muslim Association.
In a bid to dispel misconceptions surrounding Islam, members of Australian mosque will welcome visitors’ questions and curiosity on Saturday, October 31.
"The mosque is a place which is very open — there is only one room, we have our books on display, there is no hiding space or hidden chambers," Saleem said.
Being regular attendees of mosques, many Australian Muslims deem them as a place for community, teaching and prayer.
“From my perspective, the mosque is the most important thing for every Muslim," said Ismail Baig, Hoppers Crossing Virgin Mary Mosque member.
"This is the place you find yourself belonging, and you find something you need all the time; it's essential for my life.
"It is just like any other mosque, temple, or synagogue, to learn you have to go to the institution, and this is my institution."
A recent national survey has found that a quarter of Australian population has a negative attitude towards Muslims, amid increasing racial attacks against the religious minority.
The survey found that people over 65 and educated to year 11 are the most likely to be highly intolerant towards Muslims, unlike young people, between 18 and 44, who have the least negative opinion.
Hostility
Reflecting increasing Islamophobia in Australasia’s most populous city, a new survey found that Sydney is the most hostile city to Muslims.
It also found that Melbourne is the most tolerant major Australian city towards Muslims, with only 16% of Melburnians holding negative views about the religious minority.
Conducted by the Scanlon Foundation, the Social Cohesion report found that 70% of Victorians have positive views towards Muslims.
Gauging attitude toward immigrants the survey found that: “Two-thirds of Australians agreed that accepting migrants from many different countries made Australia stronger,” Herald Sun reported
“But 53 per cent of Australians don’t want federal governments to help ethnic minorities maintain their customs and traditions.”
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.
"We have learned since 9/11 to live and resist those challenges," Saleem said.
"Muslims in this country are only 3 per cent [of the population]... and there are 97 per cent of non-Muslims who are watching, so we have a huge duty to teach people about Islam."
Source: On Islam
