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Publication: Ninemsn.com.au
Date: September 17, 2006
URL: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=145141
Australia's Islamic clerics will set up a national board to tackle issues such as terrorism and provide the Muslim community with one united voice.
More than 100 imams backed the plan during a two-day conference, which wrapped up in Sydney on Sunday.
They also supported the establishment of a national centre for excellence for Muslim and non-Muslim students wanting to learn about Islamic studies and culture.
The proposed national board to represent the Muslim community will either be made up of imams or a mix of Islamic religious and community leaders.
The head of the federal government's Islamic advisory committee, Ameer Ali, said the board would be set up as soon as possible.
Its main focus would be dealing with terrorism, legal issues, imam accreditation and the training of future Islamic leaders.
Dr Ali said while the imams agreed to continue speaking out against terrorism, the national board would provide Muslims with a single voice to condemn such actions.
"They will be able to handle it in an organised manner when we have the board," Dr Ali told reporters.
"At the moment, they (the imams) are condemning it.
"But we don't have a structure to organise this."
The imams' decision to set up the new board came after federal Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Andrew Robb told them on Saturday they should draw on Islamic teachings to condemn terrorism, and preach in English.
Dr Ali said the imams also wanted members of the Muslim community to stop complaining about being victimised amid the ongoing debates about terrorism.
"The community has to get out of that sort of mindset of being victims," he said.
"The community accepts that we have to open our doors and talk to the other communities and see that we are proactive in all this."
While the precise details of the new national board are yet to be worked out by the imams, state boards are also expected to be set up to help advise the national body.
Australian Multicultural Foundation chairman Hass Dellal said the imams had considered many overseas models, including the North America Islamic Council, on which to base the new national board.
"The imams conference certainly gave a ringing endorsement in principle that there should be a national board of imams and that there should be a steering committee to look at the process on how that is developed which is inclusive," he said.
Dr Ali said the imams were committed to helping the wider Australian community understand Islam.
As a result, the imams agreed to increase the use of English where needed, develop their knowledge of Australian society and improve political leadership in the community.
Dr Ali said while many imams already preached in English, he looked forward to the day when all sermons were in English and all imams were certified by the national board.
He added that other ways to improve links between Muslims and the wider Australian community included mosques hosting open days as well as interfaith and intercultural dialogues.
"The imams recognise the importance of engaging Muslim youth and women in their institutions and addressing the ongoing needs of their respective communities," Dr Ali said.