Christianity, Judaism & Others - Aussie women turning to Islam
- Wed 31 Jan, 2007 12:37 am Post subject: Aussie women turning to Islam
Why we became Muslims
Sydney Daily Telegraph
August 27, 2005
WHAT are the essential elements of "the Australian character", and how many of them should an individual possess to qualify as a fully-fledged Australian?
Such questions were made pointedly relevant this week by the Muslim leaders' summit in Canberra. There was spirited community debate prompted by Education Minister Brendan Nelson's idea that, amongst other things, the WWI story of Simpson and his donkey should be taught in Islamic schools to help Muslim children appreciate "Australian values".
In this young country, we spend a lot of time �??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?? even an inordinate amount of time �??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?? wondering about and worrying about what it means to be "Australian" �??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?? as if we still need a set of benchmarks against which we can test ourselves to make sure we pass muster as dinky-di.
Those who suspect some Aussies are a touch paranoid about not matching up to the stereotype might have a point. The worst insult we can fashion in this country is not made up of a string of profanities; it's just one word: "un-Australian". And the great thing about that term of abuse is that we can apply it to just about anything or anyone we disapprove of.
Maybe it's time we moved on. Maybe it's time we matured enough to understand that being an Australian can encompass a vast diversity of lifestyles, beliefs and cultures. In The Saturday Daily Telegraph today, columnist Anita Quigley provides a fascinating insight into the lives of a collection of young women who have decided for their own spiritual and emotional reasons to convert to Islam. They're as Australian as anyone else. They're not terrorists, they don't sympathise with terrorists, they don't align themselves with our enemies.
While it may appear to some of us that those women have chosen a difficult life, that would be entirely beside the point �??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?? which is that they have exercised their right to free choice. Being able to do that is a defining aspect of, and one of the great things about, being Australian.
THESE are the new faces of Islam in Australia �??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?? Sydney women who have chosen to become Muslims.
Converted ... hundreds turn their backs on Christianity
As the Muslim community faces its toughest scrutiny, hundreds of men and women like Marshalla Fogg (pictured with her daughter Yassmine) are turning their backs on Christianity either by marriage or conversion.
A Saturday Daily Telegraph investigation over seven weeks has found that just one Muslim association in Lakemba has overseen almost 500 conversions of non-Middle Eastern people in just three years.
Two-thirds are women �??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?? choosing to don the veil for Allah.
They have helped propel the rapid growth in our Muslim population, up from 200,885 at the 1996 census to 281,578 today.
While this 40 per cent increase comes largely from immigration, it is also due to women such as single mother of three Mashallah Fogg.
Her long search for peace ended when she converted along with her three children. The softly-spoken nurse packed up her children and left the Hunter Valley two years ago to move to Lakemba. Now she wears the the hijab and abayah and smiles as she describes the joy Islam has given her and her children once known as Blade, Kayla and Jessica and now called Bilal, Amatullah and Yassmine.
"My mother is C of E and my father Catholic so I grew up exposed to both religions, but Islam is the first that has given me all the answers I have sought for such a long time," the 31-year-old said: "Christianity never added up and Islam just did."
Yassmine, 10, began wearing the hijab a week before her mother and said she was odd one out at school when not wearing it.
For the past seven weeks The Saturday Daily Telegraph has been investigating why so many young Australians are turning to Islam when it is the most feared and scrutinised faith in the world.
Most new Muslims come from Christian backgrounds and have been ostracised by their families, while others fear to identify publicly for fear of being labelled terrorists.
Said Kanawati from the Australian New Muslim Association who runs the introduction to Islam classes said new converts were introduced by school friends, work colleagues and neighbours.
The Qantas engineer and father of three said average Australians had little understanding of Islam and he believes Muslims can never fully integrate into this society.
"We can watch the rugby, but not in a pub surrounded by alcohol and we can go to the beach but our women cannot wear bikinis," he said.
Islam is the fastest-growing religion with estimates of about 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide.
- Fri 04 Apr, 2008 8:41 am Post subject:
Subhan'Allah. Great news coming from down under.
- Tue 28 Dec, 2010 5:27 pm Post subject:
Hi�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¦ that was great stuff..
- Tue 28 Dec, 2010 5:39 pm Post subject:
cheryl456 wrote:
Hi�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¦ that was great stuff..
Greetings and welcome, cheryl. Glad to see someone coming from Pakistan.
