Muslim Australians - Religion Cultural Diversity Resource Manual

Citizenship is considered a contract
between the Muslim and Australia.
Under Islamic norms, Muslims
should abide by its terms and
conditions. This contract requires:
» Commitment to fundamental
Australian values upon which the
Australian society is based.
» Tolerance towards other religious
traditions and followers of other
faiths. This is also in line with
Islamic ideas about religious
tolerance and dealing with others
on the basis of fairness and
justice.
» Commitment and loyalty to
Australia. This means that a
Muslim is under obligation to
do his or her best to protect this
country from those who may
want to harm it, and to defend
it against outside aggression, as
defence of one’s homeland is
required under Islamic norms.
Differing views: loyalty to
Islam or Australia?
A few Muslims may argue that their
primary loyalty is to Islam. Where the
requirements of Islam clash with the
requirements of loyalty to Australia,
they say that they have to follow
their loyalty to Islam. These Muslims
often feel that the values, norms and
environment of Australia are not
sufficiently Islamic and the systems in
place are not based on Islamic norms
and values and therefore they cannot
be loyal to Australia. Their loyalty to
Australia, in their view, clashes with
their loyalty to Islam.
However, mainstream Muslims
(many of whom were born and have
lived in Australia for a long time
and made Australia their permanent
home) will say that there is no real
conflict between the two. Loyalty
to Australia means primarily three
things, none of which clashes with
Islamic norms and principles:
abiding by the law, commitment
to fundamental Australian values,
and protecting and defending the
homeland.
From their point of view, the only
way their loyalty to Australia and
their loyalty to Islam clashes is if
the Australian authorities prevent
Muslims from practising their
religion; that is, preventing them
from performing the basics of
their religion, oppressing them or
persecuting them because of their
religion. Since Australian society is
based on the idea of equality, rule of
law and freedom of religion, such a
clash is unlikely.
For most Muslims, there is no
question that loyalty to Islam and
loyalty to Australia can co-exist.
They feel even the suggestion of the
alternative is a little bit like asking a
Christian to choose between being a
Christian or an Australian, or to ask
a Jew to choose between his or her
Jewish faith and being Australian.
74 Muslim Australians:THEIR BELIEFS, PRACTICES AND INSTITUTIONS