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Mosque Tours Clear Aussie Misconceptions |
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Published by IslamOnline.Net
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Date Added 07 March 2010 |
| | “When people have a bad idea about you, you need to give them the right idea,” Sheikh Safi said. |
Australian Muslims are opening one of their largest mosques on Saturday, March 6, to non-Muslims to dispel misconceptions and promote a better image of their faith. “We're trying to assimilate and work with each other, and to try and get a better understanding of what Islam is really about,” Sheik Yahya Safi, the imam of the Lakemba Mosque, told Australia’s The Daily Telegraph Friday, March 5.
“This year we decided to go big to make the opportunity to show that we're tolerant.” Opening doors from 10am to 5pm, visitors will go through guided tours in the mosque.The Mosque Open Day will also feature discussions about the Islamic teachings and the Muslim minority.“I believe that Australians, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, can live together in harmony,” Sheik Safi said.“But we can only do that if there is an understanding and tolerance of each other's religion and customs.”Lakemba mosque, also known as the Imam Ali ben Abi Taleb Mosque, is one of the largest mosques in Australia.Completed in 1977, it is located in the suburb of Lakemba, New South Wales and is used mostly by Lebanese Australians.Offering Qur’an, faith and Arabic lectures, the mosque draws more than 1000 worshippers for prayers every day, which surges to 5000 for the weekly Friday prayers.Islam is Australia’s second largest religion after Christianity, with Muslims making up 1.5 percent of its 20-million population.Better ImageMosque officials have also invited Islam critics in a bid to get them a better knowledge about the faith.“When people have a bad idea about you, you need to give them the right idea,” Sheikh Safi said.“We don't want to lie, we want them to understand who we really are and what our religion is about.”Muslims, who have been in Australia for more than 200 years, have been haunted with suspicion and have had their patriotism questioned since the 9/11 attacks.A recent governmental report revealed that Muslims are facing deep-seated Islamophobia and race-based treatment like never before.“I think there is still a lot of misunderstandings,” Sheik Safi said.He voiced hope that mosque tours would help clear misunderstanding about Muslims and their faith.“People don't know Islam but maybe they know a Muslim,” he said.“That one person will reflect Islam to this man and the community. Our challenge is to let our people practice real Islam, not to claim they are Muslim."
Published: 5th March 2010 | Source: IslamOnline.Net |
